His Success Took Their Breath Away

On Friday afternoon Craig Parker decided to take the two-lane backroads and stay off the interstate highway even though it would add about an hour to his drive from Atlanta to his place in Alabama.

Normally Craig wouldn't waste an hour making this trip but this afternoon he was in no hurry. This Friday afternoon was a time to just slow down and savor how everything in his life was going in the right direction.

It was just four days ago that he finalized and signed the contract that made him the president of his alma mater, a once small community college that had rapidly grown to become a university and was now one of the larger academic institutions in the state.

Being the president of this institution was a dream job and now it was his dream job. It was the kind of job he had been pursuing since he graduated from college and began his career in the field of higher education over twenty-five years ago.

After completing his undergraduate degree in just three years Craig had slogged his way up the professional academic career ladder. He attained graduate degrees and certifications and took on jobs like graduate student teaching assistant, adjunct professor, instructor and lecturer. Then, after completing his doctorate degree he moved up to assistant professor and then to professor. And finally he moved into administration, management and leadership.

Along the way he wrote and published an impressive portfolio of professional papers and several books. And he often spoke at both national and international meetings and conferences on trends and challenges in higher education.

Over time his papers, books and speeches attracted the attention of the media and he was sometimes interviewed by journalists to get his thoughts, ideas and opinions about some topic or situation in the world of higher education.

Craig had even been interviewed on camera by local, national and international news outlets most notably FOX, CNN, PBS and the BBC.

So to say the least Craig Parker was a recognized and respected professional in the field of higher education and learning. So much so that he consulted with colleges and universities around the world who sought out his advice and ideas on how to improve and grow their institutions.

Presently Craig held the job of Vice Chancellor and Assistant to the President at a university in Alabama.

And it was his prominence in that job, coupled with his vast knowledge and experience and his national and international recognition, that caught the attention of the search committee from the State Board of Regents who approached Craig, told him about the open position at his alma mater, encouraged him to apply and who eventually selected him over several candidates and made him the job offer.

So after an arduous climb up the academic career ladder the top rung of that ladder was within Craig's reach. So of course he accepted their offer, signed the contract and in just a few more weeks he would be back living in his hometown and the president of the institution where he started his pursuit of a career in higher education a little over twenty-five years earlier.

It was almost like an Horatio Alger story except that Craig didn't come from impoverished beginnings. Rather he was from a middle-class family who had encouraged him to pursue his dreams and who always supported his decisions and efforts to advance his career. So his family was overjoyed and proud when they learned that Craig was returning home and would be the president of the nearby state university.

Now Craig's contract was quite lucrative in that it almost doubled his base pay and benefits. And his contract also included a cost-of-living stipend, an expense account, a full membership in the local country club and a car for his unrestricted use. Plus he had negotiated a sizable signing bonus that was paid the day he signed the contract.

So as they say, Craig Parker was "in the money." So much so that he would be able to afford an upscale home in one of Atlanta's elite gated communities. So much money that he could afford to drive a luxury car like the Lexus LC Convertible that he had picked up from an Atlanta Lexus dealership after signing his contract on Monday morning and was now driving it back to his place in Alabama.

Dr. Craig Parker was on his way to living life very large.

But for Craig the job meant much more than the money and benefits. Being president of a large and still growing university was a highly responsible job and a prestigious and powerful position.

As president of the university Craig would be leading an organization of close to 3,000 employees and around 34,000 students. The university had a $870 million dollar annual operating budget. And university had an annual $1.4 billion dollar positive economic impact on the local community.

And as president of the university Craig would be a highly visible member in the community. He would join the ranks of businessmen, corporate leaders, government leaders, clergymen, educators, politicians and other community influencers. He would be a player. He would have influence.

So, yes, Craig Parker's life was going in the right direction. After years of hard work he now had money, position, power and influence.

But there was even more for him to savor during his leisurely drive from Atlanta to Alabama.

The icing on the cake, so to speak, was that after more than seventeen years he had begun to reestablish his relationship with his high school girlfriend Olivia Martin.

Craig and Olivia had met and become friends during their freshmen year of high school. During their sophomore and junior years their relationship evolved from being just friends to something a little more serious. And then during their senior year they were an exclusive and inseparable couple.

On the night they graduated from high school they celebrated that milestone by having sex in the backseat of Olivia's graduation gift from her parents, a new Ford Mustang. It was the first time for the two virgins but from that night on they continued to be in a romantic and sexual relationship until Craig graduated from college and was awarded the opportunity to pursue graduate studies in England as a Rhodes Scholar.

So then, with Craig in Oxford, England and Olivia in Atlanta, their relationship took a huge hit. Of course they corresponded but over time their communications waned and eventually it trickled away to nothing and they lost contact with one another. And they never saw each other again until seventeen years later at their twentieth high school reunion.

That evening Craig and Olivia met and they spent some time together talking and catching each other up with what they had been doing over the last seventeen years. Craig learned that Olivia had been a flight attendant for one of the major airlines and Olivia learned that Craig had worked at several colleges and universities in Mississippi and Louisiana and was presently considering taking a job at a university in Alabama.

It was a friendly and enlightening conversation but after a while Olivia was ready to meet and mingle with other former classmates. And as she was trying to end their conversation and break away from Craig, out of the blue he suggested that they should revive their relationship. That they should get back together and pick up where they left off seventeen years ago.

Olivia was astonished that Craig would suggest such a thing but she was polite and told him that she was glad that they met up and talked but she had moved on from that relationship and wasn't interested getting back together with him. And then she turned and walked away.

For Craig it was a letdown and he left the reunion feeling embarrassed for bringing up their former relationship. And he was hurt because Olivia turned him down. And he was angry at himself because he had let Olivia get away from him in the first place. He realized that he should have married her and taken her to England with him. Or at least he should have stayed in contact with her while he was studying in England and sought her out when he got back to the United States.

But at last, several days after the reunion, he got over his embarrassment, and his hurt and his anger and moved on, but Olivia remained on his mind.

And after that reunion Craig remained on Olivia's mind.

That was over five years ago.

Then six months ago, at their twenty-fifth high school reunion, Craig and Olivia met up again and that evening Olivia learned that Craig was now working at a university in Alabama and Craig learned that Olivia was no longer a flight attendant. And as they were breaking away, to go and mingle with other classmates, they exchanged their social media information and email addresses so that they could stay in touch.

And after the reunion they did stay in touch. They followed each other on social media and would acknowledge and comment on each other's postings. And from time to time Craig would email Olivia and share with her some tidbit of information he thought that she might find interesting or amusing. And, after a while, Olivia started to do likewise.

Eventually they exchanged cell phone numbers and Craig began to text Olivia almost every week and Olivia got to where she would respond to Craig's texts.

Then, after a while, Craig would sometimes call Olivia and they would have a short conversation and just chat about nothing in particular.

So for more than six months they were just two old high school friends keeping in touch on social media, emailing each other, texting and occasionally having a phone conversation.

It was nothing more than that.

And they never talked about when they were in a romantic and sexual relationship.

And, in all of their texting, emails and phone calls, Craig never shared with Olivia that he was a candidate for the job of president of his alma mater and might be moving back to Atlanta. Because he knew it wasn't a done deal and wouldn't be a done deal until the search committee made him an offer and he accepted it. However once the offer was made and he accepted the job he called Olivia and told her everything.

Of course Olivia was surprised and excited and proud for Craig because she remembered back when they were in high school and how Craig told her over and over that one day he would be the president of a university. That was his goal. That was his dream job. And now he had reached his goal. He had his dream job.

So while talking with Olivia and hearing her excitement and enthusiasm over his news Craig had an idea and he took an off the cuff chance and invited her to dinner to celebrate his new job and moving back to Atlanta. Honestly, he never imagined that she would accept his invitation but to his surprise she did accept.

And on Monday night, after he had signed the contract to be president of the university, he picked up Olivia at her home around 6:30 PM and they went and dined at one of the best restaurants in Atlanta.

Then after dinner they drove around the city and eventually around 11:30 PM they were back at Olivia's home and parked in her driveway where they sat in Craig's car and talked. It was reminiscent of when they dated in high school and Craig would bring her home and they would sit in his car and talk and make out until her dad would turn the porch lights off and on to signal that it was time for Olivia to come inside.

This time there was no dad to signal it was time to come inside.

So eventually, in the early morning hours of Tuesday, less than 24 hours after Craig had signed the contract to become president of the local university, he walked Olivia to her front door, told her how much he enjoyed their evening together and then gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek.

Olivia graciously thanked him for an excellent dinner and a wonderful evening. Then, as Craig was about to walk back to his car, he took another chance and asked her if she would join him for lunch. Olivia thought for just a moment and then told him that she would love to.

So later that day Craig picked up Olivia and they lunched at the country club where Craig was now a member. Then after lunch they spent the afternoon driving around the area and exploring neighborhoods where Craig might possibly buy his new home.

And as they explored one neighborhood after another Craig did see several homes that he might be interested in and Olivia wrote down the addresses of those homes and the names and phone numbers of the real estate agents who had the listings. To the uninformed they probably looked and acted like a married couple searching for their forever home.

Then after exhausting themselves driving around and looking for Craig a place to call home they ended Tuesday at a local cafe dining on cheeseburgers, french fries, Cokes and hot fudge cake. Something they did when they were a couple in high school.

On Wednesday Craig was tied up in meetings all day and into the evening and as a result he didn't have the time to see Olivia. But on Thursday evening Craig and Olivia again dined together at one of Atlanta's upscale restaurants. And after dinner they repeated what they did Monday night, they sat in his car in Olivia's driveway and talked until close to 2:00 AM.

So on Friday afternoon, while driving back to Alabama, Craig was thinking about his new job, moving back home to Atlanta and, of course, he was thinking about Olivia. And his thoughts about her were that she was a first-class woman. She was mature. She was poised. She was intelligent. She was worldly. She was a good conversationist. She had superb taste. And, she was beautiful and alluring.

And he imagined that she was still good in bed.

And, of course, as he drove along a Georgia two-lane blacktop highway heading toward Alabama he began to imagine he and Olivia together again. Just like they were when they were in high school and while he was attending college.

And then he imagined what his new life would be like with Olivia by his side. Accompanying him to the many local, state, national and sometimes international functions that he would be attending in his role as the president of the university. And the more he thought about it the more convinced he became that Olivia would be his perfect counterpart. She would be the perfect female companion to round out his new persona.

And, as he drove along, he switched from imagining to reasoning that he deserved Olivia and she deserved to be with him. Because, after all, they had started his quest to be a university president together. And so it was only right that she should be with him now that he had reached his goal. He reasoned that they should be together, side by side, leading the university ahead.

So while driving from Georgia to Alabama he began to plan how he would make Olivia his companion and love interest again.

But before he got too far into planning how he would reclaim Olivia he came face to face with some circumstances, a couple of hurdles, that were standing in his way.

The first hurdle that Craig had to clear was that he was still legally married to Wendy White-Parker whom he had met, dated, and married while he was a lecturer at a college in Louisiana. A year after their wedding their daughter Julie was born and for a while they were the perfect family. But everyday on campus Craig was immersed in a bevy of coeds who were willing to reward him with sexual favors for his assistance with their grades and grade-point-average. Of course Craig helped them and he would never turn down the rewards.

It was good times for Craig but of course after a while Wendy learned, through the small college town's grapevine, of Craig's campus philandering and of course she was angry and she was deeply hurt. She never dreamed that Craig would betray her and Julie but he did and when she confronted him he didn't deny cheating on her and he wasn't remorseful and he didn't promise that he would stop. And that made the hurt even deeper.

Of course their marriage became estranged and Wendy found herself in a lonely, uncaring and unloving abyss; and, to rescue herself and Julie from that abyss she retreated to religion. And in a Pentecostal Church in Central Louisiana she found the support, care and love that Craig was denying her.

Now Wendy and Julie flourished in the fundamentalist ways of the Pentecostals but that just widened the gap between her and Craig. So eventually, with the encouragement and support of her family, she found the courage to take Julie and move back to her childhood home in Laurel, Mississippi. Craig didn't go after them and they had not seen or contacted each other in close to ten years.

Now as Craig crossed over the Georgia-Alabama State line he concluded that before he could pursue an open relationship with Olivia that he had to close the Wendy and Julie chapter of his life. And now that he was making more money he decided that he would simply turn the problem over to an attorney and pay them to discreetly and legally dissolve his marriage with Wendy and workout his parental obligation to Julie, whatever that might be, if any at all.

The next hurdle that Craig had to clear was a little more challenging.

Olivia Martin was actually Olivia Martin-Olds. She was married to a man named Robert Olds and they had been together for around twelve years.

Robert Olds was a freelance writer and outdoor photographer who worked for hiking, backpacking, camping, hunting and fishing magazines. He also worked for outdoor equipment and apparel manufacturers and retailers. Robert's outdoor photography was much in demand and as a result he traveled extensively both nationally and internationally on assignments which is why Olivia had been available to spend so much time with Craig.

Now Craig had met Robert Olds twice. The first time was at his and Olivia's twentieth high school reunion and the second time was at their more recent twenty-fifth reunion.

At the twentieth reunion Olivia introduced Robert to Craig, the men shook hands, exchanged pleasantries and then moved on. It was a brief introduction and after meeting Robert Craig's opinion of him was that he was the lucky man who married his high school girlfriend. He didn't see anything interesting or captivating about Robert and, like every other man who has met his high school sweetheart's husband, he wondered what Olivia saw in Robert to marry him.

But after that reunion, and the more he thought about Olivia and their lost relationship, he got it in his head that Robert was his nemesis. That if it hadn't been for Robert Olds coming onto the scene Olivia would have married him and she would now be Ms. Olivia Martin-Parker the beautiful and alluring wife of Craig W. Parker, Ph.D.

Again, that was a little over five years ago.

Then six months ago at the twenty-fifth reunion Craig met up with Robert Olds again and discovered a little more about him. That night he learned that Robert was a few years older than he and Olivia, that he was from Charleston, South Carolina and after graduating from a private college prep school in Chattanooga and then the Citadel in Charleston he had served in the military. And then about seven years ago Robert left a job in the government to go professional with his photography and writing work.

During their chat, on the balcony outside of the ballroom where the reunion was being held, the two men talked about Olivia and Craig learned that Robert met Olivia when he was still in the military. He had an assignment that necessitated him frequently traveling between Washington D.C and Europe and it just so happened that Olivia was a flight attendant on many of his flights and that's when and how they got to know each other and eventually got engaged and then married.

After their talk, Craig's perspective of Robert was that he was a weak, scared and insecure man who was overly protective and jealous of his younger and beautiful and alluring wife who naturally attracted the attention of men who more than likely had lustful thoughts about her.