|
|
|
The plane was buffeted with turbulence most of the way. Karen sat silent, her stomach throbbing, her heart pounding. Her stomach was throbbing from the ride and her heart was pounding over the excitement of moving in with Josh. She couldn’t wait to tell the kids, she couldn’t wait to put the house up for sale, she couldn’t wait to quit her job. She slid her hand inside Josh’s and his fingers curled around hers. He was holding a novel in one hand, reading, eyes glued to the page. She would have looked at a magazine but she was too energized with thoughts of what she had to do in the next month or two. She tried to envision the house he’d bought. He told her it wasn’t real fancy like most Hollywood homes and she was thankful for that but he did say it had 5 bedrooms with a bathroom attached to each. She felt her belly do flops and couldn’t tell if it was the bumps in the sky or the exultation of having a house that wasn’t a cracker box. She squeezed his hand. He looked at her over his glasses and smiled then went back to his book. She lay back against the seat and closed her eyes, in her mind she was decorating the house, having dinner parties, wearing a sequined dress on New Year’s Eve while celebrities ambling back and forth from the kitchen to the entertaining area. She sighed and felt Josh squeeze her hand once more. The landing was worse then the ride, the wheels skidding to a halt on the wet and snowy runway. Thankfully the limo was waiting for them and after retrieving their luggage, climbed wearily into the car and rested the whole drive to Karen’s house.
Once there they dumped their suitcases on the bed and then as Josh flopped down on the couch, Karen went to get them a drink.
“You want a beer?” She called out to Josh from the kitchen.
“No. Water please.” He hollered back. She brought in a beer in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. He pulled her down onto his lap and, after taking the water, sucked down a giant swig. She set the beer down on the side table and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I can’t drink now that I’m going out on this promotional tour.” Karen nodded and dipped her head to his mouth where she kissed him slowly, her lips lingering over his. Josh had just pulled Karen’s mouth down firmly on his and was sliding his tongue over her lower lip when the door burst open and Carlie came running in followed by Ryan, Kelly, and Sam. Karen leaped off of Josh’s lap and brushed her hair back with her hand as Carlie rushed into her arms and hugged her mother. Josh stood and eyed Sam with interest. So this is the ex-husband he thought and was sorely disappointed. Sam stood slightly taller then Josh but was somewhat burly and wide around the middle. Not wide as in fat but his belly was slightly wider then his chest. His hair was an unkempt mop of blondish-brown layers. Looked like he cut it himself. Sam approached Josh and stuck his hand out.
“So you’re the famous Josh I hear so much about.” Josh shook his hand politely.
“I’m sorry you have to hear it.” Josh said. He wasn’t sorry. Sam looked him up and down then planted his hands on his hips.
“How was Mexico?” Sam asked. Josh smiled, the white of his teeth accentuating the deep tan of his face.
“It was great. Very warm, very sunny.” Josh indicated the windows. “Unlike here.” Sam looked out the window and then back at Josh.
“How was my wife?” Josh frowned. He wasn’t looking to get into some argument with Sam but it was obvious Sam was feeling a little frisky.
“I wouldn’t know, she was probably with you.” Sam nodded.
“Oh that’s right, Karen and I aren’t married anymore, forgive my ignorance.” He said sarcastically.
“Knock it off, Sam.” Karen said.
“Now if you were referring to Karen …” Josh said, his eyes focused on Sam. “She was fabulous.” Sam stared back at Josh, anger flickering in his expression.
“I’m sure she was. She’s a pistol between the sheets.” Josh could feel his blood pressure rise. Karen moved between them and pushed Sam towards the door.
“That’s enough.” She said and dragged him out onto the front porch. “What the hell was that all about?” Sam turned away from her and ran a hand through his already mussed hair.
“What the hell are you doing playing with a kid like that?” He spat. “You should know better!”
“You are so jealous and it’s quite obvious, you know that?” He glared at her, his jaw clenched. “How does it feel, Sam? Huh? That’s what you did to me but we were married! You left me and your kids for some young bimbo.” He looked down and then turned away from her.
“All they did the whole time was talk about him.” He said softly. “They were with me but talked constantly about him!” Karen sighed. “Do you know how that made me feel?” She had the urge to put her hand on his back for comfort but resisted. He never gave her comfort when she was hurting. He left her to pick up the pieces of her own shattered life and put them back together all alone while he frolicked with his secretary, Brenda.
“Yeah, Sam, I know how that feels. What you did to me was way worse then this. We have been divorced for a year and I didn’t start dating until 6 months ago. Don’t think I’m going to feel sorry for you now. This crap has been going on for two years and you didn’t give a shit that I was hurting. You only cared about your libido. Sam turned to her, his eyes red and watery.
“Fine.” He said and marched towards his car. “Don’t ask me to do any more favors for you.” He said, got into his car, slammed the door closed and sped out of the driveway, his wheels slipping on the snow, back end of the car fishtailing down the street. She blew air out of her mouth and then headed back inside.
****************************************************************************
The lawyer’s office was pretentious and boastful. The walls were covered in oak paneling and awards and certificates adorned them. He sat in a large, overstuffed black leather chair and folded his hands.
“It would seem Karen that Sam doesn’t want you taking the kids out of state to live.” Karen, who’s anger had already been ignited by the fact that she had been subpoenaed to appear in court over her recent decision to move to California was ready to kill.
“He can’t stop me, can he?” She asked. Charles Leving, Karen’s divorce lawyer from the first time she had dealings with Sam nodded quickly.
“Yes, he can stop you. And my guess is that he will.” She twisted her hands in her lap anxiously.
“What can I do?” Charles thought a moment before speaking.
“We can try to appeal to him, to see how serious he is about all this. Sometimes men try to use it as a bargaining tool. Do you have anything to bargain with?” Karen sighed and shook her head.
“I doubt it.” He sat up in the chair and made some notes on a pad of paper.
“Okay, let me try something first then we’ll take it from there.” He set the pen down on the pad and eyed Karen.
“Are you really sure this is what you want? To take them to live in California?” She had never been so sure of anything in her life. If it had been any other man who’d asked her to ditch her life in Ohio and move all the way across country she wouldn’t do it, but for Josh she most certainly would.
“Yes. I’m more then sure of it.” He stood, indicating that the session was over. “Then we’ll do our best.” He placed his hand on her lower back and saw her to the door.
She left with a less then hopeful feeling.
.
