What Goes Around... Ch. 03

I got up the following morning and staggered to the bathroom where I swallowed more aspirin. I was still feeling the after effects of that damn bachelor party. I got totally shitfaced and, despite promises of fidelity made to Jackie, I had fucked Bonnie. I know, I know, I was drunk as a skunk, but I knew that was a bullshit reason.

I had shut my ears to any excuses concerning Tina's infidelity - I just shut her out, despite the fact that it wasn't all her fault. Now I had to face my own hypocrisy, my own human frailty. Jackie and Sam had been successful, they had set out to teach me a hard lesson and it had hit home. I finally realized what an idiot I had been, what a cold hearted bastard. I had lost the love of my life due to my own stupidity and now I had to figure a way to get her back. My problem was that I didn't have the foggiest notion as to how I was going to do that.

I was startled by the ringing of the telephone. I glanced at the clock and saw that it was after 9 am. It was Sam Able.

"Max, you up for some golf this morning? I can pick you up in half an hour. Get your ass moving."

"Sam, I can't. My head has a marching band trooping through and I'm sick to my stomach. Plus, I have to figure a way to get Tina back and I'm drawing a blank. I feel like shit, I can't think."

"I'll be right over. Put on some coffee," he replied and clicked off.

True to his word Sam showed up at my door in under half an hour. He walked into the kitchen and helped himself to a mug of coffee and joined me in the den where I had resumed my seat on the sofa by the end table on which my own coffee was perched.

"Okay, Max. What's the big problem? For a smart guy you sure can act dumb sometimes. Figure it out. What's the first thing that you've got to do?" Max lectured me.

I just looked at him and shook my head. "It's no use, Sam. Tina's not going to listen to me. Too much crap has passed between us. She fucked up and then I fucked up even more. She initiated the divorce - I'm sure that she doesn't want anything more to do with me."

Sam just looked at me, a disgusted expression on his face. "Do you want her back, Max? or are you just going to sit and whine and feel sorry for yourself. Are you absolutely positive that she doesn't have any interest in getting back with you? One hundred percent sure?" he asked.

"Okay, Sam. Okay. Knock it off. No, I'm not one hundred percent sure, it's just what I feel. Goddamnit, I don't know what to do."

"For pity sake, Max. The first thing that you've got to do is take some vacation time and go down to Atlanta. You can't even begin this task if you're not even in the same damn city where she is. That's your first step," he snapped at me.

I flushed. I felt embarrassed, where were my mental faculties? I couldn't even think straight. Sam was right, of course. Why couldn't I have realized that that was the first thing I had to do. I shook my head, trying to clear the cobwebs from my mind.

Sam just laughed. "Don't worry, Max. You're not losing it. It's just so new to you. I bet you've never had to admit that you really fucked up in the past, at least not as badly as this. You'll get it all figured out. Just go in tomorrow and request some vacation time. It's slow now, you shouldn't have any trouble."

And that's exactly what I did. First thing Monday morning I went into Mike Cooper's office and asked for a couple of weeks off. Mike looked at me and nodded. "I think that's a damn good idea, Max. Go do what you have to," and he smiled.

********************

I was able to get a flight that morning and was checking into my hotel by the early afternoon. There was a Hertz desk in the lobby and I made arrangements for a rental car. As I unpacked I knew that I had to begin to develop a course of action. Right now I was totally clueless as to how to begin to confront Tina and ask her to talk to me. What if she just tells me to fuck off? Oh, oh - what if she's seeing someone, someone she's serious about. That hadn't occurred to me. Sonofabitch, what if she's engaged or worse yet, already married. That took the wind out of my sails and I suddenly had to sit down.

Okay, my brain started to work again. First thing I had to determine was if she was involved with anyone. If I found that she was in a serious relationship, I wouldn't turn her life upside down again. She had messed up her life once and I just had made it worse. She deserved a clean start. So.......... how do I determine that? I sat and thought that over. Okay, I would get as much information as I could about what was happening in her life. I would follow her, that would tell me if she was seeing anyone seriously. I know, a plan fraught with potential danger, but it seemed to make sense at the time.

I grabbed the telephone directory and looked for Canney, Tina. Nothing listed. Did she had an unlisted number? Oh, oh...... another thought came into my feeble brain and I hastily turned the pages of the phone book. Shit, there it was....Wallace, Tina. She had taken back her maiden name. Not a good sign. I wondered if this whole effort was nothing more than a waste of time, but I jotted down her address. I also looked up the address of her company and jotted that down also. Okay, I was ready for my campaign to garner information - like I was some kind of Sam Spade, for those who remember that fictional detective.

I went down to the lobby, bought a street map and headed out to where she lived. Fortunately, it only took about 20 minutes. I pulled into the parking area and looked about me. It seemed that Tina lived in an apartment complex, far from new, but it did look like it was well maintained. I looked for her address and found that she lived in a first floor unit. I also noticed a sign in front of the building: Units Available For Lease, and I had a brainstorm.

I walked into the leasing office, off the main lobby. The girl behind the desk looked at me enquiringly: "Good afternoon, can I help you?"

"Yeah, is it possible to inspect a unit? I will be transferring into the city and saw your sign."

"Of course, let me call Sharon for you, Mr..........?" a question in her voice.

"Conner. Scott Conner, I easily lied, but I could feel my face flush.

A few seconds later a woman, about 45 I would guess, came out and introduced herself as Sharon Tyler and volunteered to take me into a model apartment. She spoke as we walked, telling me about the monthly rental and lease terms. I listened with half an ear.

We entered another first floor unit and I looked about. In front of me was a spacious L shaped living-dining room with a fairly small kitchen off the L. I saw two door at either end and asked about the bedrooms.

"All of the units are layed out exactly like this one, Mr. Conner. All have two bedrooms and two baths - either could be considered a master suite since they are virtually identical. Come, let me show you," she said as she opened one door and then the other. Fairly large rooms with large windows letting in a lot of light. One had a master bath and looked out on the front of the building while the other bathroom had an entry off a small hallway. This bedroom looked out on the back, a wooded area. I was impressed.

"And you say that all of the units here are identical in terms of layout?" I asked.

"That's correct." she replied and continued. "When do you think that you will be making a decision. We only have two units left for lease."

"Soon, Ms. Tyler. Very soon," I lied again as she led me out.

********************

I sat behind the wheel of the car, deep in thought. Why would Tina be renting a two bedroom unit? Was that significant? I could feel myself getting nervous, seeing problems where none existed perhaps. I shook my head, started the car and headed out for Tina's workplace. Again I saw that it wasn't far, perhaps another 20 minutes. I pulled into the parking lot to the side of the front entrance to the building. Slowly driving along the lanes it didn't take long for me to recognize Tina's maroon Camry. The two small dents in the left rear section told me that it was her car even though it now had Georgia plates.

I glanced at my watch which told me that it was almost 5 pm, quiting time I imagined and parked in the far corner of the lot. I knew that I was taking a chance, but I felt fairly confident that she wouldn't see me, especially in this rented car. It didn't take long before I saw a stream of people exiting the side of the building, all headed to their cars. It was then that I saw Tina and I thought that my heart would stop. She looked lovely in a tailored pair of slacks and long sleeved blouse.

It appeared that she had cut her dark hair and there was a crown of ringlets which only enhanced the dark, sparkling eyes. Yes, even at this distance I could tell that she was animated and seemed happy. What had I expected - that she would be drawn, pale, waiting for me to come on my white charger and rescue her from her loneliness? Shit, what I fool I had become.

She was smiling and in conversation with another woman, a blond, slim gal about Tina's height and........a guy. There was a guy in the group, tall, dark haired. The three of them were walking to the cars, laughing at something the guy had said. I felt my head start to pound and I had to fight down a feeling of nausea. "Shit," I muttered to myself. "Get a hold of yourself."

They arrived at Tina's car and the two women entered, waving at the guy who wandered over to another car, a bright red Corvette. I breathed a sigh of relief and started to follow Tina as she drove out of the parking lot. I followed them to the apartment complex and saw both enter Tina's unit.

I saw for awhile and gathered my thoughts. Okay, it looks as if both Tina and the blond were sharing the apartment. There were two bedrooms, one for each of them. This looked promising, perhaps Tina was not in any kind of relationship with any guy. Perhaps that guy in the parking lot was just a co-worker, just a casual friend. Okay, okay, this looked okay.

Then a stray thought entered my head. I started to talk to myself, shit this was getting to be a habit. "Hey, schmuck - why are you fucking around like a fool? Why not just go see her? Talk to her. Tell her what's in your heart."

"No, no," I told myself. "What if she turns her back on me? What if she doesn't want to talk to me?" I was afraid, I was just too fearful. I again shook my head, brushing aside those thoughts.

"Hey, moron....listen to yourself. It's not like you're the only fuck-up here. Don't forget her part in this mess. She screwed up and you made it worse. You're both to blame." the little voice yammered.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up," I screamed silently. "Enough, no more." I just didn't want to hear anymore. At this point I was totally confused, unable to come up with any meaningful course of action. I was just about to start the car up and leave when my heart jumped into my throat. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the approach of a bright red Corvette which parked next to Tina's Camry. The same guy got out of the car carrying a large paper sack. He approached Tina's front door and entered without knocking or pausing.

I sat there, frozen, the motor running, for a few moments. It was then that a calm came over me. I put the car in gear and drove back to the hotel. I had a lot of thinking to do and I knew that I wasn't going to get any answers or decide on what I had to do until I became more rational. I knew that I had been behaving like a blithering idiot and it was now time to settle down and reason out the situation.

Fortunately the room had the makings for coffee and I busied myself for a few moments with that while wolfing down a club sandwich that I had ordered from room service It didn't take long before I was sitting in a chair, gazing out at the landscape, mulling over the information I now had. Okay, what did I actually KNOW? One - I knew exactly where Tina worked. Two - I knew where she lived. Three - I knew what she drove and now the license number.

Now what didn't I know for sure, but could logically surmise? One - it appeared that she lived with the blonde gal, sharing the apartment. Two - it appeared that that guy was either a "friend" (yeah, like I believed that) or the blonde was involved with him or.......he was a "friend" of Tina's.

Shit, I had nothing, really. I was back to square one. I recalled my previous vow: I would do nothing if Tina was in a serious relationship - I didn't want to screw up her life. I sat back and sighed: "now what?" I asked myself. Okay, more snooping, I needed more information.

So I spent the rest of that week following Tina. I was there when she left work, always with that blond gal, both getting into Tina's car and going to their apartment. I also noted that Tina didn't leave her apartment after she returned from work. It looked like no more mid week outings to the lounge or bar scenes. I started to feel a little better - that guy didn't show up there again, at least not that week. It was Friday when things started to unravel.

I was again parked near the exit of the building where Tina worked. It was almost 5 o'clock and I was anticipating seeing Tina and her friend again. Sure enough they appeared, laughing as they approached Tina's car. I caught my breath as I saw that guy with the Corvette approach them and engage them in conversation. Damn, I would have loved to have heard what they were talking about. They didn't stand there long though and both girls were soon in the car headed out. I followed them as usual and was a little relieved when they parked and went into the apartment.

I recognized that I had been really antsy that day and finally recognized that perhaps it was because it was a Friday and I knew how Tina loved getting out on the weekend and party. There would be no worry about getting up early for work so she could stay out as long as she was having fun. Was this going to be one of those nights? I was uneasy, not knowing what to expect.

Also, by this time I was getting very uncomfortable snooping around and stalking Tina. I knew that it really wasn't right, what I was doing, and I knew that Tina would be furious if she knew, but what other choice did I have (I kept saying to myself, trying to justify my actions). I sighed and drove across the street to the diner there, as I had been doing for the last few days. I could still keep my eye on their apartment from the booth on the street side, although I doubt if I could move fast enough to follow them if they left suddenly. I quickly wolfed down a small dinner, walked quickly to my car and drove back to the parking lot to resume my watch.

By 10 pm I was pleasantly surprised that the girls had not yet exited their unit and I saw that the lights were still on behind the drapes. I was happy about that, perhaps Tina had changed and didn't care for the noise and crowds as she used to. Perhaps her betrayal and our subsequent break-up caused a change in her. Was I spinning fairy tales in my head?

It was still a bit early - perhaps they would be leaving soon. I was still sitting there, my thoughts giving me a headache when I saw the bright red Corvette pull into the parking lot and park near Tina's unit. He exited his car and I saw he was carrying a small overnight case. He sauntered to the apartment door and entered without knocking. Shit, it sure looked as if he was expected and it also looked as if he expected to be spending the night.

I sat there, flummoxed, not knowing what to think. Was this guy Tina's or was he the blonde's boyfriend? How the hell do I find out? I sat there like a schmuck, my head pounding now, trying not to give in to the sour feeling in my stomach. I was really coming to the conclusion that Tina had moved on and it looked like any attempt on my part to get back together with her was futile. I know, I was basing that on very inconclusive evidence, but my emotions were getting the better of me.

So, because of that, I did something really stupid. Then again, this whole "plan" of mine had been stupid. I realized that I wasn't being entirely rational, but I was running out of options - at least that's what I thought. I got out of the car and casually, looking around carefully, strolled to the window of their apartment - the front bedroom window. I tried to listen, but heard nothing. I then walked around to the back and moved to the window of the bedroom in that location. I listened...... and heard muffled voices, male and female. I couldn't make out anything, but there were two people in there, of that I was sure.

As I moved away and started back, I suddenly saw a figure standing not far from me. He motioned me forward and I saw that he was pointing a goddamn gun at me. I broke out in a cold sweat. As I neared him he motioned for me to stop. He then took what appeared to be a billfold out and held it up for me to see - a shield and ID. Shit, he was a cop. We walked to the parking lot and he seemed to already know where my car was.

Standing by my car, he looked at me for a few moments and then holstered his gun. He looked at me again and then shook his head.

"Listen carefully, buster. The only reason I haven't called for a squad car to take you downtown, is that you sure don't look like the typical burglar - you're just too stupid. I've been watching you for almost a week now and I want your story - and it had better be the truth. By the way, "he added as an aside, "I live in the apartment right about the one you've been so interested in."

I stood there for a moment, and then it all came pouring out. I told this cop everything, from the beginning. It was like a catharsis, like I was unburdening my soul. I started with the huge fight I had had with Tina, our divorce, the months after and right up to my idiotic attempt at playing being a private detective. I found myself sweating, tears running down my face, my nose leaking as I finished. The torrent of words was over, I felt drained yet the funny thing was that I felt better - better than I had felt in what seemed ages. Go figure.

The cop just stood there and stared at me. He asked for identification and I showed him my drivers license and work ID. "You know something?" he muttered. "All that sounds just dumb enough to be true." He then smiled, almost reluctantly and poked out his hand. "My name is Hank Elliot. Sorry if I frightened you back there, but my caution was justified - you were acting really strange."

I let out a sigh of relief, moping my face with a hanky. "Thanks, I know all of this is crazy, but I'm just trying to find out if Tina is involved with anyone. If she is, I don't want to complicate her life. I've done enough to mess things up, we both have."

Hank Elliot then turned and raised his voice. "Yo, Tina - heard enough?" he asked and to my horror and chagrin Tina came waltzing around the side of a van parked nearby. "Thanks Hank. Yes, I've heard enough, in fact more than enough. Thanks for calling me."

Hank chuckled and clapped me on the shoulder. "Okay, Max. You're on your own now. I hope you don't screw up," he said as he strolled back to the building.

I just stood there. I was embarrassed as hell and I expected Tina to really lay into me. I was so ashamed of myself that I couldn't even look at her. I just stood and awaited the tirade. After a few moments of silence, I glanced up at Tina and saw her smiling somewhat wryly and shaking her head as if to say - what am I going to do with you.

"Okay, Max. You want to know if I'm involved with anyone?" she asked softly. "That fellow in the apartment right now is Betty's fiancé. I guess you know that I am sharing the apartment with Betty, but she'll be moving out in a couple of weeks when they get married."

Tina wasn't smiling now and her voice was devoid of any emotion as she spoke. "What do you want, Max? Why the sudden interest in me now? You had made it quite clear that we had no future. You were quite voluble just now with Hank, but you never made clear just why you're here." She stood there, calmly awaiting answers from me.