I had moved to Houston for two reasons, a new job opportunity and to get away from a somewhat poisonous relationship. I took a good fifty percent of the blame for the end of that relationship, inasmuch as I should never have let her move in with me in the first place. We parted on good terms, Sharon went on holiday with her folks, something she tried so desperately hard to avoid. But since the holiday was booked and paid for before we met, she was rather stuck.
A day later, I moved halfway across the country and changed my phone number. Yes, that sounds like a callous and cold hearted tale of woe and deceit. Yet I was the one who lived through the days, weeks and eventually months of watching the seemingly warm and generous partner I had asked to share my life set about turning my friends against me, monitoring my house and cell phone conversations and opening my mail.
All in the name of love I was assured.
On the journey across country, I thought about the who, when and of course the why of yet another failed relationship. Although I had only just turned thirty-two and was once again without anything close to a real relationship, I just knew that when I found her, it would be that one person we were all meant to meet and spend the rest of our lives. My sole wish would be to hang onto her with both hands and live long, prosper and grow old together.
When I first met Sharon, she was a little aloof which I just put it down to her not knowing me too well. Over the coming weeks all that changed and we became really good friends, then bed partners. She started eyeing up a couple of drawers and closet space after a few months. After eight months she moved in and three weeks later, after she felt she had her feet under the table, the evil dragon came out to play.
Now I'm all for my woman keeping me in check. After all, I've been known to fly off the handle a few times in my life. On a couple of occasions my folks were called into school to discuss my attitude.
One visit was in response to a fist fight with another student. I thought it prudent to mention that the guy in question had his hand up the head cheerleader's sister's skirt, laughing while trying to pull her panties down. Sally Shaffer was the total opposite to her cheerleading sister. The word geek was used with a great deal of affection in her presence. After all, she had dragged a good eighty percent of the cheerleading team through exams and most now had their names attached to colleges in the not too distant future. Only her closest friends knew she was still a virgin. It seems it was Ben Chadwick's wish to have a claim on both sisters. I took exception.
Two things happened immediately after I offered my explanation. The principal stood and shouted: "That's a damn lie, nothing like that has been reported!"
Then the office door crashed in. Malcom Shaffer stood glaring at the principal, his crying daughter hiding behind him surrounded by other office staff and irate cheerleaders.
In my eyes I was doing what my family had taught me from a young age, look after family and those who can't look after themselves. Those were two solid principles that I had held dear through life. My parents agreed and I received grateful thanks from Mister Shaffer. Both of his daughters and their friends. Admittedly, being seen as The Equalizer made the remainder of that school year quite interesting.
That one example, was also important in my life. A weeks later both my folks were killed in a car accident. Since I had no other family my life's designation changed, I was no longer a member of a family, I was an orphan. That's when social system got involved. What got me through the funeral of my folks was the feel of my father's hand on my shoulder. When he looked down at me as we all left the principal's office and the look of real pride in his eyes.
The hug I got from mom that day when we got back, the tears in her eyes as she told me how proud she was of me. Those are what got me through the funeral, knowing they were there, even if only in spirit. As a last promise to my folks, I would keep to the principals they had both instilled in me.
For some reason Sharon Bennett had decided that I was being delusional, when I told her of that one instance. And since the sun seemingly revolved around her and only her, then she should have all of my affection, at the expense of not only the memories of my family, but all that my folks had taught me to be as I grew up.
A relationship is called a partnership for a reason. When she decided on her own that there would only be one head of the house and she was it, I knew that it was time to move on.
*******
The new job was fantastic and I also knew that my memory would never store all the names of the people to whom my new boss introduced me, at least not straight away. Since I had nothing but a nice, modest and although furnished, an empty apartment to my name, I put the hours in to learn the people and the business. That eagerness got me past the three months' probation to the handshake from my boss.
Decompression led to a realization. I didn't realize how tense I was about getting through that probation period. It was the following Saturday morning when I took that short walk to the shower and got a really good look at the pot-bellied lard-ass in the mirror that stared right back at me.
That same afternoon got me looking for a gym and an hour later putting in a workout that had me soaked in sweat and fighting for breath. It served me right I suppose, being keen and wanting the job so badly meant that fast-food had turned into my convenient best friend. The fitness instructors watched and some smiled. The smart ones tried to help point me to machines that wouldn't try to kill me. A couple of them either took me under their wing or looked on me as their pet project. I could never decide.
It was all good. For a full year I put in the hours and determination at the gym; two changes of wardrobe later I figured I had best slow down some or face withdrawal.
Physically, I was about where I wanted to be, and work was good as well. I had moved up to assist the head of the department and done so in record time.
It always amazes me that we humans can just sit back and think we have turned a corner. You only realize too late that the cosmos has both patience and a peculiar sense of humor.
*******
My boss came out of his office with a panicked look about him. That worried me. He then pointed to me and waved me over, before returning to his desk. I would have thought using the phone system would have been easier. Perhaps I was just plain stupid, or just over-thinking the moment.
When I entered, his desk was deep in paperwork and the usually unflappable Frank looked uncharacteristically harassed.
"I need a favor." This was when he looked me in the eye. "Please note, it's me asking for a favor, not the company. So, if you decline then so be it and I will have to come up with a plan B."
Thinking it best to sit, I did just that and watched as he went looking for something under half a desk worth of paperwork. With an "ahah" he seemed to have found what he was seeking.
"My baby sister is inbound, her flight lands in just over two hours. I was supposed to be off this afternoon, but the boss needs this report today since he's flying out later this evening to meet the client. So not only do I need to get this file in order, I need to brief him on the history of issues we've had with these people."
The penny dropped and a real cold chill ran up my spine just as fast. This would be the first time I would have to deal with a member of the opposite sex since I had been here. That didn't work alongside me or at the gym, that is.
I stared at my boss and friend for a moment longer, took a breath and said. "How can I be of help?"
"My wife is the only other person I would trust with this, she however picked today to go to her parents and won't be back until later this evening."
