You Can't Throw Everything Away Ch. 03

"You're the one cheating, why shouldn't you?" she said, guiltily yet refusing to give him the upper hand in the war she had foolishly started.

"JoAnne... c'mon, please, before we do something that's not fixable. Have you cheated on me?"

"What if I have? You did."

"I... haven't... done... anything. Don't you get it? I'm innocent and you're acting like... ah, shit... fuck it."

The weekend passed in silence. He spent the early morning polishing the old car and then drove north on Pacific Coast Highway toward Malibu. Several times, he envisioned the end of "Vanishing Point" and wondered if that would be a good end for his wife. He smiled, the image of JoAnne tied down to the front of a bulldozer as he sped toward her and a hundred miles-an-hour...

He spent Sunday packing his model trains and magazines for whatever move he would eventually make. He looked at the five boxes. Not much, he thought. That had to change, no matter what happened to his marriage. He took them to the garage.

Monday morning arrived and Eileen took him to the Chevy dealership.

"Oh, this car is wonderful! Take me for a ride!"

He looked at his secretary, the joyful look on her face making him glad. Suddenly, he really did want to take her for a ride, both in the car and in the bedroom. He shook his head to clear that last image. If he did that now, he'd be no better than his treacherous wife. He looked at his cell phone. Ten-fifteen... it should have been...

His cell rang. "Hello?... you did?... good. How'd she take it?... oh, well, we can't all have what we want, can we? Thanks."

He turned to Eileen, a smile on his face. "Let's go for a ride. Ever been to Solvang?"

"Solvang? Really? I love Solvang!"

"Great. Let's move your car somewhere onto my street so it's safe and then we'll go."

Soon, they were driving north on PCH and by early afternoon, they were having lunch at the Red Viking in the Danish town.

"Do you come here, often?" she asked.

"We... we used to. But, that all changed, I guess, when she stepped over the line with this Philip guy and stopped wanting to go places with me. I now believe she was using my time away to spend with him. What do you think I should do? I'd like to punch him in the nose and kick him you know where."

"That would only get you in jail and you'd lose your law practice. Let's just send his wife that picture you showed me from Jeanette along with a little note. I'm sure she'd like to use it."

"All right, you're right. Why should we get hurt more than we've already been. Let's have fun. I haven't been here in at least four years. There's this bakery I liked."

"The one with the windmill?"

"Yes, that one."

He bought Eileen a small, glass unicorn at the gift store. "For you," he said, almost bashfully. Am I falling for her? he wondered, or is it just a 'she's here', thing?

"Eileen?" he asked, as they walked up the street toward the bakery shop.

"Yes?" She squeezed his hand and looked at him. "What's on your mind, Bill?"

"I don't want to ruin our friendship by doing something stupid. We both know why we're here, today."

In answer, she tip-toed to kiss him. "Bill, I'm your friend. If something happens, then it happens. If not, we'll still be friends. OK?"

"OK, I just don't want to hurt you. I've been hurt enough and know how it feels."

"I'm a big girl, Bill. I know. Buy me a cookie."

"I'll buy you a whole bucket's worth."

The ride back to LA was quiet and he wondered what was going to happen when he finally went home.

"What!?! You want a divorce? How can you..." JoAnne screamed.

"Do this to YOU? What about what you've done to MY life?" Bill couldn't believe her attitude. If she had been penitent, something might have worked out but he was tired of living with her. He knew there was no future here.

"Oh, don't be stupid. Of course, you..." JoAnne was silent, realizing her mistake. Nothing on 'Oprah' or 'The View' had prepared her for the real consequences of her disastrous plan. If she had just been quiet, her affair could have lasted as long as she wanted.

Things were moving too fast. One word led to another and then there was no turning back, even for a civil parting of the ways.

"Here's my lawyer's card. Make an appointment with someone. Bring a raincoat."

"A raincoat? Why?"

"It's going to be a bloodbath. I hope you'll be very happy, someday, with some other poor bastard."

"Goodbye, JoAnne." He went to the front bedroom and pushed the dresser against the door. Let her get through that, he thought.

Tuesday morning, he packed his five boxes into the Malibu and headed to his new office. Three trips and they were all locked in the office closet.

"Mornin', boss. What do you think?"

"I think she's spitting blood."

"I meant about the office but that's interesting, too. So far, about half your clients have transferred over to us. I'm waiting to see what happens with the rest but I expect retainer checks in the mail by the end of the week."

"That's fantastic. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Do you still feel married?" She walked to him and stroked his arm.

"No... isn't that strange? Ten years over, just like that."

"She killed it a long time ago without your permission. It's been over, you just didn't know it." She moved closer, into his personal space. He could feel her breath on his face. She could feel his arousal. She reached down and touched him.

He blushed. "Eileen..."

"Shhh," she said, "just go with it."

"I can't, Eileen, not now. I think I want you... I know I want you, but... not now."

Her disappointment was obvious as she held him tightly, kissed him lightly and then backed away. "Aren't you going to show me your trains?"

Just before eleven, Jeanette surprised Eileen and Bill. "Good morning, Bill... Eileen. What happened, Bill?"

"She was served this morning and I'm moving my things out. I got my models out. That's about ten thousand dollars right there and too easily lost. The car's locked up as tight as Fort Knox. That's about all I can do for it, right now."

"I came by to ask you to lunch. If you're busy, I can always call for an appointment, I guess."

Bill looked at Eileen, still flushed from their embrace. "I..."

"That's all right, Bill... Eileen can come, too, if she wants. I promise, I won't bite."

"I'll close everything down," Eileen said, leaving the room.

"What really brings you here, Jeanette?" he asked.

Jeanette looked through the doorway toward Eileen. "I just wanted to say I'm here for you... you know."

"You had said that, before. Don't get me wrong. I appreciate everything you've done for me, especially all with the picture and everything. You helped me make up my mind, once and for all. But, it's too soon to be..."

"I just wanted you to know, that's all," she said, feeling foolish.

"Thank you. Just because I'm a little shy right now doesn't mean I'll be that way, forever. I promise that when the time comes, I'll give you a call. Do you still want to go to lunch?"

'Yes, very much. Eileen won't mind?"

"She's pretty much in the same boat as you, right now. I never thought I'd be so popular with you two."

"I'll admit I've an ulterior motive. I want to see if you really do take forever. I could use..."

Eileen coughed and walked in. "Everything's ready to go, Bill. Where do you want to go?"

"Anthony's on the pier? How's that sound?"

"Fine... it sure beats Carrow's."

After a surprisingly nice lunch, both women helped him take his clothes from the house back to the office. The last thing he took from the house were his college and law school degrees hanging from the den wall.

"You know, Bill, this isn't looking too professional, here." Eileen stared at his clothes piled up against the office wall.

"Got to keep them someplace until I get a new house or something."

"Listen, I've got a two bedroom apartment. Stay with me. Your clothes are going to look like they were in a train wreck by the time you wear them. You can't sleep here. Our clients are expecting as good or better from us, now, that we're independent."

"Well... when you put it that way, how can I say 'no'."

Dinner that night was a simple affair, just some spaghetti with Prego sauce and some Magnum ice cream bars. When he had arrived, he noticed how simply Eileen lived and realized that whatever his old partnership had paid her, it wasn't enough.

"Eileen? I was thinking..."

"Yes?"

"I think of you more as a partner than a secretary or personal assistant or whatever you want to call it and I know you took a tremendous chance leaving with me. I'd like to see how much we take in but I'm definitely going to give you a big raise."

All his good intentions disappeared that night as she came into the bedroom. He laid her on her back; as her heart pounded in time with his, their mouths mated, their hands linked. Trembling with the force of desire for him, Eileen parted her legs, feeling him tease her.

He

eased himself inside her as gently as possible but she still gasped as he pushed. As she forced herself to relax, her body seemed to stretch, taking all of him in, filling her. Slowly, Bill began to move, kissing her tenderly again and again.

With each kiss, he stroked a little deeper, a little faster. She clung to him, her body matching his moves until they moved together in unison. Eileen was aware of nothing but him. She cried out as an intense wave of pleasure grew and grew through her and finally burned its way into her soul. A blast of heat filled her as he finally exploded deep within.

He held himself on his arms as he buried his face alongside her neck and she felt the racing of his heart as it finally slowed. Eileen kept her arms around him, still loving the intimacy of their bodies even as she cooled. She laughed.

"What did I do?" he asked, amazed that she could laugh at a time like that.

"Whether JoAnne was just talking or not, you DO last a long time. Thank God."

She moved away and then came back on top of him. Her finger touched his nose. "Thank you."

"You're welcome... but, why?"

"For everything... I was afraid that JoAnne had ruined you, forever. I'm not fifteen, Bill. As long as you have time for me, I'll be happy. Maybe, it'll be more than that, I don't know but I told you before, I'll take what I can get. I know I'm pushing forty but I've been thinking about you ever since I met you and as crazy as this sounds, I've waited... God, how I've waited... such a long time... and, you never did anything. That's why I know I can trust you not to break my heart with promises you have no intention of keeping. Does that make sense?"

"Yes. I promise I'll never do anything on purpose to make you sad."

They slept that night in each other's arms and the next morning brought a welcome repeat of the night before.

"Jeanette's here and we might have a little problem."

"Huh?"

"Jeanette's going to expect some kind of 'thank you' from you."

"Oh? And..."

"I'm just saying... she'll expect some kind of 'thank you' from you and you shouldn't forget it, that's all."

Jeanette walked in. "Hi, Bill. Lunch?"

Bill looked at Eileen who nodded her head. "Uh, yeah, sure, I guess. Do we have anything else for the day, Eileen?"

'I'm just waiting for the mail and if any calls come in from our old clients. Go on, have a good time and if you have to come back late, I'll lock up."

What was THAT all about? he asked himself. "Uh, yeah, fine." Women! "Where would you like to go, Jeanette?"

"I don't care, Bill, anywhere is fine."

He put his taco down. Chevy's Mexican seemed like a good choice, at the time, but it was so noisy, they should have just left after they arrived.

"So..." he asked, "how are things?"

"All right. Aren't you going to ask me about JoAnne?"

"No."

"Well, I'll tell you, anyway. It seems that a certain photo was given to a certain wife who's now divorcing a certain Philip who's dropped a certain JoAnne. Amazing, how that worked out, isn't it?"

"As interesting as that is, and it is... so what?"

"Oh, nothing. Just thought you'd like to know, is all."

"Thanks. You're a good friend, Jeanette."

"I spoke with Eileen."

"Oh?" Now what? he wondered. He was going to say something when his cell rang. "Eileen?... and you're good with that? You're kidding. Not at all... after all, that's what a good personal assistant does, I guess."

"Well, Your Honor, that about sums up my client's case. We propose a one-time payment in lieu of alimony. He has no desire to continue contact with his... with that woman. I'm sure you can appreciate that. She can keep the house. He has no desire to have anything to do with that, either."

"Ms. Croteau, do you see any chance at reconciliation between your client and his wife? I can order it, you know."

"Your Honor, you can order it all you want but Mr. Hiquet is adamant. He no longer wishes to remain married to her."

"Mr. Kelly, what do you wish to add on behalf of your client?"

"Your Honor, Mrs. Hiquet is resolute in her wish for counseling. She now believes that their differences can be worked out, given enough time and begs the court to honor that request."

"I'll take it to my chambers. Let's break for lunch and I'll see everyone back here at 2 o'clock, sharp."

The two restaurants near the courthouse were packed for lunch and as fortune would have it, both parties ended up waiting for a table, together.

JoAnne wiped her chair before she sat down. "So, what do you think? Will she give a ruling, today or?"

"Oh, she'll give a ruling today, one way or the other. The question is, will you be happy with whatever her ruling is. You realize she could order some counseling?"

"God, I hope so."

At the other end of the café, Bill looked at his lawyer. "God, I hope not. What good would that be? As her husband... ah, never mind, we've been through this a hundred times before. So, what's not going to turn my stomach?"

"I always like a good steak but I'm used to all this. Maybe, a club sandwich for you? That should be good enough, I think."

"All right, you're the expert. A club sandwich, it is."

"A ten year marriage, especially these days, is nothing to take lightly... and yet, here we are. Sometimes, people just grow apart. 'Irreconcilable differences' covers a multitude of sins, these days. There's a sadness that fills this courtroom, every day with the broken dreams of so many couples. Mrs. Hiquet believes that this marriage can still be saved."

The judge took a drink of water and then she looked at both of them, sadly. "I've looked over everything, every confusing thing but I've come to one conclusion and that like Humpty Dumpty, nothing is going to put this marriage together again. Dissolution granted."

Both Eileen and Jeanette came forward and hugged Bill.

"Let's go, boss," said Eileen.

"I've got the tickets," said Jeanette, "and the car is already packed. We've three hours before the ship sails."