An Unusual Beginning

Arlene took David to her favorite place to eat, where she bought herself two footlong hotdogs, a large order of fries, and a large strawberry shake.

David bought himself a hamburger, regular fries, and a soda.

After they purchased their food, Arlene suggested they go to Grant Park and enjoy their food there since the weather was perfect for sitting outside.

When they reached the park, they quickly found a picnic table where they could enjoy their food and each other's company.

"Is it always this empty?" David asked as he sat across from Arlene and looked around the park.

"No," Arlene replied. "It's usually packed on the weekend. I guess we lucked out finding this spot."

"You are not going to eat all of that food," David challenged looking at Arlene as she unpacked her food and laid it out n front of her.

"Normally I would agree with you," she said reaching into her purse and pulling out take-out packets of Sonny's® barbeque sauce, opening it and squeezing it on to her fries, "but since becoming pregnant I would have to disagree with you. My appetite has gone through the roof."

"Is that normal?" David asked looking at Arlene as she cut her footlong hotdog covered with slaw, chili, onions, mustard and ketchup into quarters and started eating it.

"I don't know," Arlene replied before taking a bite. "I've never been pregnant before. I'll have to ask my doctor when I go for my appointment next week."

David started laughing when Arlene took a bite into the hotdog, closed her eyes and moaned.

M-m-m-m-m," she said. "I've been waiting for this since this morning."

"May I have a piece?" David asked.

Arlene opened her eyes and gave David a gook that said, "touch my food and die."

"I guess not," David said, easing his hand away from Arlene's food.

"I'm sorry," Arlene said, "but I've been craving a hotdog since I got up this morning, and now that I have it, I'm not in a sharing mood."

"I understand," David said, smiling at Arlene, "you're eating for two. I bet your fridge is stuffed with hotdogs."

"No," Arlene said. "Whenever I crave a hotdog, it has to be a footlong hotdog with everything on it, and it has to be from my favorite place. Nothing else will do."

"Is that why everyone seemed to know you there?"

"Yeah," Arlene said. "I stop by there almost every day for a footlong hotdog, fries, and a strawberry shake."

"Is the barbeque sauce on your fries an effect of you being pregnant?" David asked.

"Yes," Arlene replied. "I usually put sweet pickle relish and mustard too."

"Sounds delicious," David said, making a bit of a face as he thought about the combination and what it would look like.

"And the barbeque sauce has to come from my favorite barbque place," Arlene said. "Lucky for me, I can get a bottle of their barbeque sauce at their restaurants or in the grocery store."

"What do you like to drink?"

"Cream soda," Arlene said.

"Do you have a special brand?"

"Yes," Arlene replied, "and yes, I keep my fridge stocked with it."

David was about to ask another question when his cell phone rang.

"Excuse me," David said, looking at the screen and seeing Diana's name on it. He flipped open his phone and answered it.

"Hello," he said.

"Have you talked to her?" Diana asked.

"I just got here," David said.

"Has she agreed to have the marriage annulled?" Diana asked.

"I can't talk to right now, Diana," David said, looking over at Arlene, who was trying to pretend she wasn't listening.

"Have you talked to her about annulling that sham of a marriage?" Diana asked, her tone demanding an answer.

"I said I can't talk to you right now," David said, his tone letting Diana, know she wasn't going to get an answer to her question.

Arlene stood so she could leave and give David some privacy.

David reached out and grabbed hold of her wrist to prevent her from leaving.

"I was trying to give you some privacy," Arlene mouthed.

"Stay," David mouthed back.

Arlene sat back down at the table.

"I've got to go, Diana," David said. "I'll call you later tonight."

"I want this situation resolved, David," Diana said, the tone of her voice letting David know that she was serious.

"Goodbye, Diana," David said, hanging up the phone.

"I'm sorry about that," he said to Arlene, turning off his phone. "We won't be interrupted again."

"No, need to apologize," Arlene told him, "she is your fiancée, she has every right to call you."

"She wanted to know if I got you to agree to an annulment," David said.

"I figured that from hearing your end of the conversation," Arlene said. "She's not going to be happy with you if you tell her you want to stay married to me."

"I can't help how I feel," David said. "I'm sorry that I'm going to hurt Diana by the decision that I've made, but I can't marry her feeling the way I do right now. It wouldn't be fair to her nor me."

"You scare me, David," Arlene said. "I don't know if I can trust you."

"Why?" David asked.

"Your reaction to this situation bothers me," Arlene said.

"How?" David asked.

"The way you seem to be so accepting of the things that have happened to us," Arlene said.

"It scares you?"

"Yes."

"You're saying you don't understand why I'm not angry."

"Yes," Arlene replied."

"I wish I could answer that question," David said, his tone sincere, "but I can't. My gut, my mind, and my heart says that I should stay married to you."

"I feel the same way," Arlene said, "and that scares me. I'm worried about what could happen if we both really think about the situation and decide it would be better if all of this ended."

"You think we should stay together too?" David asked his smile telling Arlene that he was glad they were both thinking the same thing.

"Is that all you heard?" Arlene asked.

"Yes," David replied.

"David, we really have to think about this," Arlene stressed. "If we make the wrong choice, we're not going to be the only ones affected."

"Do you remember anything about our time together in Vegas?" David asked changing the subject.

David smiled at the hint of red that spread across Arlene's face.

"Why do you want to know?" she asked.

"Because I have flashes of memories from time to time," David said, "and I was wondering if you experienced the same thing."

"I'm not comfortable talking about that night," Arlene said, unwrapping her second footlong hotdog.

"Have your friends explained why they put you in that situation?"

"Yes," Arlene replied sighing, "They claimed they did it because they wanted me to loosen up and have some fun."

Suddenly losing her appetite, Arlene put her hotdog down and pushed it away.

"I'm so angry with them," she said, a tear rolling down her face.

"I'm sorry," David said, reaching out and taking hold of her hand. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's not your fault," Arlene said, picking a napkin and wiping the tear from her face. "You're not responsible for what my friends did."

"But I understand how you feel," David said.

"Have you talked to your friends since that night?" Arlene asked.

"Yes," David said. "My parents forced me to speak to them before they knew the full story about what happened."

"I'm too angry to deal with the people I went with," Arlene said, refusing to call the women her friends. "I feel as if someone has come along hijacked my life, shook it up, gave it back to me and said here, deal with it and walked away."

"That's how I feel," David said amazed that Arlene had managed to come up with the words that described exactly how he felt. "I feel as if my life's been hijacked, and I just got it back and I'm now expected to straighten out someone else's mess."

"I need you to do me a favor," Arlene said.

"And what is that?" David asked.

"I want you to promise me that you'll go home and give our situation and the possible consequences some serious thought," Arlene said. "And, I'll do the same because I don't want either of us to regret the choices we make. I want us to be sure."

"I have thought about it, Arlene," David said, "but because you don't know me and to ease your mind, I'll do as you ask. But I have to tell you I don't see myself changing my mind."

"You are so stubborn," Arlene remarked.

"Determined," David corrected.

"Hello, you two."

David and Arlene looked up to see William and Shayla approaching them.

"Hey, man," David said, getting up and greeting his friend. "What're you two doing here?"

"Probably the same thing you two are doing," William replied, putting his arm around Shayla's waist, "enjoying this beautiful day."

"Hello, Arlene," Shayla said, praying that her friend would speak to her.

"I'm ready to leave, David," Arlene said, refusing to acknowledge Shayla's greeting or look at her.

"Okay," David said, watching Arlene as she packed up her lunch.

He looked over at Shayla's sad face and felt sorry for her.

"Arlene," Shayla said softly.

Arlene stopping what she was doing was the only acknowledgment she gave that she heard Shayla because she still refused to look at her or speak to her.

"I'm sorry," Shayla said, her voice trembling, her eyes turning red and watery. "I'm really and truly sorry for what I did."

Arlene didn't respond; she finished packing up her lunch and walked away from the table towards the parking lot to her car.

"Give her time," David said to Shayla, feeling sympathy for her as tears ran down her face before he followed Arlene to the parking lot.

Shayla nodded her head in agreement.

"She'll come around," William said, putting his arms around Shayla and pulling her against his chest, and letting her cry.

"She'll never forgive me," Shayla said, "and I don't blame her. I wouldn't forgive me either."

"What happened was stupid," William said, "but...."

"But, what?" Shayla asked, looking up at William.

William couldn't finish what he was going to say because there were no buts in this situation. What they did was done intentionally, it wasn't meant to hurt, but it did.

((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))

Arlene was too upset to drive, so David drove back to her condo. When they arrived, David got out of the car, walked around to the passenger side, and opened the door for Arlene.

"Thank you," she said as she exited the car.

Those were the only words she spoke during the entire twenty-minute drive.

David watched her during the elevator ride up to her condo. He could tell that she was wrestling with her temper, trying to keep it under control.

He wanted to comfort her but was trying to decide if he should if she would let him.

It was when they reached the front door of her condo and seeing her hand shaking so badly that she couldn't put the key in the lock that David put his arms around her to comfort her.

She practically collapsed against him. Taking the key from her hand, David unlocked the door and led her inside over to the couch they sat on that morning.

Expecting her to move away from him the moment they sat down, David loosened his hold on her. Surprisingly Arlene didn't move away. She instead tightens her hold on him, and she began to cry.

"I'm so sorry about this," she said.

"Hey, don't be," David said putting his arms back around her.

They sat there in her living room David holding her and Arlene accepting the comfort he was offering. This was a new experience for her because it was something she was used to giving, but not something she was used to receiving. Neither of them said anything.

David left Arlene's condo around midnight after they made plans for getting together Saturday. They spent Saturday window shopping, looking at baby clothes. David wanted to start buying things for the baby, but Arlene talked him out of it by suggesting that he waited until she was further along or until they found out the sex of their child.

After window shopping, David took Arlene to lunch. Amazingly, they wound up in a mall close to Arlene's favorite place to eat.

"I wonder how that happened?" David teased. "I think it's an amazing coincidence."

"I agree," Arlene replied innocently. "I think it's an amazing coincidence too."

"You are a sly one," David said, laughing.

"I don't know what you mean," Arlene said.

"Sure, you don't," David said, taking her hand and leading them out to the mall parking lot, to Arlene's car.

They ended Saturday by going to see a movie then back to Arlene's condo, where David called a cab and went back to the hotel where he was staying.

((((((((((((((())))))))))))))

When he arrived back at the hotel, he was surprised to find William waiting for him in the lobby.

"I thought you were staying with Shayla," David said as William walked toward him.

"I decided to leave," William said. "Shayla wasn't much fun after bumping into you and Arlene in the park."

"I'm sorry to hear that," David said, trying to press down the anger he felt at the accusatory tone of his friend's voice.

"Let's go somewhere and get something to drink," William said.

"Sure," David replied.

They found a bar close to the hotel; they walked in and sat down at a table away from the rest of the people in the bar so that they could have some privacy.

"We saw the two of you in the mall Saturday," William said after the waitress took their drink order. "You and she seemed to be having a good time."

David didn't say anything in response to what William said, he just stared at him.

"It's amazing that she doesn't seem to have a problem with you," William said his voice becoming tense, "the man who actually did the harm to her."

"She understands that I was taken advantage of the same way she was," David replied, his voice becoming just as tense as William's.

"I don't understand how she can forgive you but not her friends," William said.

"What you're saying is she should forgive Shayla and make your life easier," David said.

"It happened over a month ago, David," William said. "You're over it, Arlene should be over it."

"I'm not over it," David said. "Don't let the fact that I'm talking to you and the other's, fool you, because I'm definitely not over what happened."

"What?!" William said his voice filled with surprise. "I thought you had forgiven us."

"How did you reach that conclusion?" David asked. "Especially since none of you have apologized to me for what happened in Vegas."

"We did something stupid, okay," William said. "We shouldn't have done it and hurt you."

"You did more than hurt me," David told him getting angry with William for his flippant attitude. "You changed my life; you changed plans that I had made for my future. Something, none of you had the right to do."

"It was a joke, David," William stressed. "A joke that went horribly wrong, but it was a joke."

"Why does everyone involved in this thing keep saying that?" David asked becoming frustrated and angrier with his friend. "That doesn't make it easier for me or Arlene to deal with this mess. Please tell me that you do understand what you and the rest of our so-called friends have done to us."

"I understand what happened to both of you," William said, "and I understand that it was us that did this terrible thing and you and Arlene have a right to be angry. But, neither of you have the right to hurt us."

"Arlene hasn't hurt anyone," David said. "She's exercising her right to react to Shayla speaking to her any way she chooses and the way she chose to react was to walk away from her. If that cuts into your good time you're just going to have to deal with it."

David got up from the table, paid for his drink and walked away from William leaving him sitting in the bar.

(((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))

Sunday morning David took a taxi over to Arlene's house where he would have breakfast, and she would take him to the airport, so that he could catch his flight to L.A.

David wanted to stay the whole week because Arlene had an appointment to see the doctor the coming Wednesday but because of prior commitments he couldn't. So, Arlene agreed to call or email him the details of her visit.

His flight was scheduled to leave at noon so they reached the airport at ten so that he could check in.

When they arrived at the airport, David took Arlene to the V.I.P. lounge to wait for his flight to be called. William was there sitting at the bar but Shayla wasn't with him. The two men stared at each other. William turned away from David signaling that he wouldn't be coming over.

The tension between the two men was so strong Arlene could feel from where the two men stood.

"Did the two of you have a disagreement?" she asked David.

"It wasn't anything big," David assured her not wanting to talk about what happened between him and William. "We'll get over it."

"Did you tell him about your decision to stay married to me?" Arlene asked thinking that she had figured out what the disagreement was about.

"No," David replied. "I'm not going to tell anyone about that until I talk to my parents or Diana first."

"Then it must've been about Shayla," Arlene said.

David didn't say anything, confirming Arlene's suspicions.

"I'm sorry," Arlene said.

"Don't," David said, his voice stern. "This isn't your fault; this isn't my fault. He doesn't have a right to be angry with either of us, and if he wants to be angry that is his business, but please don't you take responsibility for it."

Arlene didn't get a chance to respond to what David said because his flight was announced over the P.A. system as preparing to board.

"Can I get a kiss from my wife?" David asked before walking through the departure gate.

Arlene's eyes grew big, surprised at his request.

"On the cheek," David said, a teasing smile on his face.

"I think I can do that," Arlene said.

David leaned down as Arlene brought her lips up to meet his right cheek.

"What the hell?" William whispered to himself as he watched Arlene kiss David.

"I'll call you when I arrive home," David said.

"Alright," Arlene said. "Be safe."

"You too," David said as he turned and walked towards the departure gate.

((((((((((((((())))))))))))))

"Why did you allow her to kiss you?" William asked as he sat down in his first class seat next to David.

"I was saying goodbye," David said. 'To my wife', he added mentally.

"So, did she agree to have, the marriage annulled?" William asked.

"Are things better between you and Shayla?" David asked hoping William would take the hint that he wasn't going to talk about what was going on between him and Arlene.

"She's still upset that Arlene won't talk to her," William replied, his voice becoming tight when he said Arlene's name, "but I managed to help her feel better before I left."

"I'm glad," David said.

"I bet you can't wait to get home and let your parents and Diana know that things are settled between you and Arlene," William said a smile on his face at the thought of not having to see Arlene again.

"Yeah," David said looking out of the window as the plane taxied down the runway.

"Did she make any demands before agreeing to the annulment?" William asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," David said.

"You did the right thing, David," William said seeing David tense up. "You shouldn't feel bad about ending things with her. It wouldn't have worked out."

"How do you know it wouldn't have worked out?" David asked.

"The two of you come from totally different worlds," William said, "in more ways than one. Arlene wouldn't have fitted in our world. She's the product of the foster care system, she doesn't know what a family means or how to be a part of a family. Not to mention the racial differences between the two of you."

David couldn't believe what he was hearing. He never knew William to be such a snob.

"You're deeming her to be unworthy of me because of the circumstances of her birth and upbringing?" he asked William.