Love Me Tender - Please

Part VII - The future

Chapter 68

Ray awoke early the next morning and quietly watched Kari sleep. He slipped out of the bed and went to his suitcase to retrieve the little box that he had brought with him. Opening it, he took out the set of rings that he had custom made from her original wedding and engagement ring set. The wedding ring was still intact but now was connected to a new band. The original diamond engagement ring was now set side-by-side a new one.

Studying the rings his thoughts flitted through the last two years at fast-forward speed. As each image flashed by, his mind responded with happiness or sadness and at one point he felt the pangs of the terrible hurt that she had caused him. A rising feeling of happiness eroded the hurt as the little movie running in his brain slowed to a normal speed until it stopped at the present.

"The end and the beginning," he whispered.

Slipping back into the bed he gently slipped the engagement ring onto her finger and kissed her on the cheek.

"I love you," he murmured and getting up he went into the bathroom to take a shower.

Ray had completed shaving the left side of his face when he heard a loud scream come from the bedroom. The door to the bathroom flew open and a naked Kari stood there holding out her hand with the ring displayed.

"Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" she repeated and flung herself against him. "Do you mean it? Are you sure?"

"Do I mean what?" he pretended to not know what she was talking about. "Am I sure about what?"

"Stop it!" she ordered and grabbing his shaving cream covered face she kissed him.

"Well, will you?" he asked when she released him.

"Huh?" she said confused.

"Will you?" he repeated.

Suddenly comprehending what he was asking she screamed, "Yes! Yes! Oh, God yes!"

The sound of the telephone interrupted their celebration and Ray picked up the bathroom phone. Melody's voice came through the phone loudly enough for Kari to also hear what she was saying.

"What's going on? We heard mom scream. Is everything all right?"

Taking the phone from Ray, she said into the mouthpiece, "Yes, sweetheart. Everything's OK. It's perfect. Are you dressed? Good, come on over, I've got something to show you."

Ray recognized Melody's voice as another scream filled the air a few minutes later. He quickly put on his shorts and a robe before going out to greet his excited daughter and, trying to act nonplussed, son.

"Oh, daddy! You did it! We were wondering if you would. I love you," she said and threw herself into his arms.

"Congratulations, dad," Brian added. "Mom told us how you did it. That's pretty good, I'll have to remember that one."

"You are supposed to be married before you wake up in the morning with a woman in your bed," he cautioned him with a smile on his face.

Kari grabbed onto Ray's arm and held onto him.

"Now go, you two, so we can get ready for breakfast. We have to check out by eleven so get your stuff packed. We'll see you in a few minutes."

"You're amazing," she said to Ray when the children left. "I thought I was dreaming when I woke up and saw the sun glinting off of my ring. It's beautiful and so creative. You are the best! Thank you, I love you."

After they got dressed and packed, Ray asked Kari to sit down because he had something he wanted to talk to her about. She nervously sat on the edge of the bed and waited for him to speak. She fully expected him to lay down some ground rules for their engagement and she steeled herself as she waited to hear what he had to say.

"Kari, I've decided to try and go out on my own," he said. "I've talked it over with my partners and they are supportive of my decision. What do you think?"

Kari gave a silent sigh of relief before she spoke.

"I think, no I know, that you are absolutely capable of making it on your own. You have always been a creative thinker and a fine architect. I don't see any reason why you can't be successful owning your own company."

"Thank you," he responded. "There will have to be some changes ..."

"Yes. I know, I understand," she interrupted him. I'll need some time to get everything in order. I'm sure I can sell my business pretty quickly. In fact, I had a buyout offer from a nationwide company six months ago and they are probably still interested. I can move ..."

"Wait, wait, wait," it was his turn to interrupt her. "Who said anything about you moving? I was going to suggest I move here."

"Here? In Austin?"

"No, no, I mean with you in Corpus Christi. That is if you think it's a good idea."

"You would do that?" she said and leaping on him she pushed him down on his back on the bed and straddled his legs. "I think it's a wonderful idea! I have a lot of contacts and you, or we, if you want me, can work together. We would make a good team."

The last words were muffled as she clamped her mouth against his and gave him a ferocious kiss.

"OK, OK," he laughed and rubbed his lip where she had pushed it against his teeth. "The kids will think we had a fight and you punched me."

"Let's go tell them right now. That is unless you want to stay here and fool around first."

"You're mighty horny for a 42-year old woman," he laughed and pinched her ass.

"Only with you, my love. Only with you."

Ray let Brian drive on the long trip back to Savannah. Melody sat in the front seat and he got comfortable in the back. The two of them teased him unmercifully about them having to almost pull he and Kari apart from their goodbye kisses. He didn't bite and they soon tired of their game and he dozed in and out of a light slumber. At one point she asked to borrow his cell phone because hers had a low battery. Other than that there was very little conversation on his part for the first hours of the trip.

Melody took over the driving in Louisiana and the two siblings switched back and forth and Ray didn't have to drive at all. He used the time to make some tentative plans and a schedule of how he hoped everything would work out.

They were just pulling into the outskirts of Savannah when Ray's cell phone went off and he was startled to hear the "Love Me Tender" melody playing. Looking towards the front of the car, he found Melody giggling at him and Brian watching him through the rear-view mirror.

"I bet I know who that is," Melody said. "Answer it."

"Hello, honey," he said into the phone.

"Hi, mom," Melody yelled. "Dad has a new ringtone."

"Yes, it's the 'Love Me Tender' tune. Your daughter messed with my phone."

There was a pause as he listened to Kari and started laughing.

"She's only my daughter when she's good. Yes, it's OK. She'll be going back to school soon and I won't have to put up with her for a while."

"You're going to miss me," Melody sing-songed and stuck her tongue out at him before turning to sit back down in her seat.

"Why would I change my mind?" he said into the phone.

He laughed again.

"Well, don't worry about it. I've made up my mind and I'm going to go with it."

Looking up he realized that the kids had turned the radio down and were eavesdropping on his conversation.

"Mind your own business," he admonished them and waved for them to stop listening.

"I'll talk to you later," he told Kari. "Love you too."

The next few months flew by. Ray was kept busy wrapping up his association with his architectural firm and getting Brian set for college. The whole family managed to get together for Thanksgiving in Savannah.

Ray knew a little about AA and NA and he wondered if he should go with Kari when she attended her meetings while she was in Savannah. She explained that she was more comfortable without him being there. She added that she would like him to go with her to her regular meetings when he was in Corpus.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to get drunk and run away on you," she promised.

It was a good Thanksgiving with many moments of laughter as they told stories of the good times they had enjoyed. It also had moments of sadness when the realization hit that it was probably the last time they would be together in the house that they had called home for so many years. Kari kept trying to get Ray to come down and stay with her in Corpus for a few days but he begged off saying he had a lot of things to get straightened out.

The evening ended after they made plans to celebrate Christmas in Kari's home in Corpus Christi. Eventually everyone had to go and Ray was left alone as he watched his family drive off to their separate destinations the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Ray had just returned from a late breakfast buffet on Sunday morning when the doorbell chimed and he opened the door to find Donna standing there.

"Hi. Happy Thanksgiving. Are you alone?"

"Hi, Donna. I wasn't expecting anyone. Come on in."

"You especially weren't expecting me, is that what you mean?" she laughed.

"No ... well, yes. Where's Mike?"

"I don't have the slightest idea and I really don't care. We're not together anymore. You obviously didn't know that did you?"

"Uh, no. I'm sorry to hear that. By not 'together' do you mean divorced?"

"We've been separated for nearly six-months now. I'm just waiting out the time for our divorce to become final."

"Mike never mentioned anything to me and you were here together at Brian's party."

"That was just for show. Mike insisted that we appear as a couple for the sake of business and I agreed. After all, the more money he makes the more I get. Do you have any wine?"

Ray poured a glass of wine for her and carried it out onto the patio.

"What are you going to do now?" he asked her.

"I've got the house up for sale. I can't live in that huge place. I'm thinking about moving but I just don't know right now. I see your house is for sale. How about you?"

"I've left the partnership and I'm moving to Corpus Christi. Kari and I are back together."

"I thought I detected something at the party. I honestly can't say I'm glad for you. How's it going?"

"Pretty good. I realized that I missed and still loved her and I think she's back on track now. I gave her a ring while we were in Austin visiting Brian at TSU."

"Are you sure? I'd hate to see you get hurt again."

Ray's eyes narrowed for a moment as he digested her statement.

"Why would you say that? What do you mean?"

"Look, I didn't come here to cause any trouble. I didn't know you had gotten this serious with her. The reason Mike and I finally split was because we each got tired of making a mockery of our marriage. We made a deal the last time when he was in rehab. It turns out, he couldn't keep his end of the agreement and started screwing around again. I caught him with Karen or Kari or whatever she calls herself now."

"No!" Ray said in an anguished voice. "That can't be true. When? How long ago?

"About six months or so. I think they are still seeing each other. He goes on a lot of trips and I think they might meet in New Orleans. At least that's where my PI caught them."

"Caught them? What were they doing?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary but it was strange that they happened to be there at the same time. The PI lost them and finally gave up. I know that Mike is back on drugs. How's Kari doing?"

Mike's brain was in a spin and he didn't answer for a few seconds.

"Uh, OK, I guess. I think so anyway. I'm having a hard time believing this. Are you sure?"

"I'm sure about Mike fucking around on me and doing drugs again. I can't say for sure about your ex."

Obviously trying to get her to leave, Ray said, "Look, Donna. It was nice of you to stop by and thanks for the information but I have things to do and I'd better get busy."

Donna stood and moved so she was standing between Ray's knees.

"Why, Raymond. I was hoping we could spend some time together. I mean since we are both single or at least nearly so."

She pulled Ray's face into her belly and rubbed her body back and forth against it.

"I'm so horny I'm dripping. I've been thinking about you and me all morning. I'll bet you can smell me, can't you? Want a taste?"

Ray pulled his head back and standing, he forced Donna to move back so that she could keep her balance.

"You were never one to mince words were you? I'm sorry, Donna but I really can't and I really don't want to. I'll see you out."

The door closed behind her and Ray stood in one place as he tried to figure out what had just happened. Should he continue to trust her and just dismiss Donna's assertions or should he confront her with what he heard.

"If I confront her and it's not true she will think I'm just being paranoid again," he thought.

That little voice in his head continued with the argument. "Well, hell stupid. You deserve to be paranoid after what she did to you. Maybe you should hire someone to watch her. Maybe she is screwing around again."

"The fact that she was seeing someone while we were divorced is none of my business," he countered. "After all, I dated a few times. But, Mike? That's strange."

"What's so strange about it?" his counter-voice asked. "Maybe she was getting her drugs from him."

"Christ, I'm going nuts. I'm talking to myself," he said aloud and laughed.

Ray had a restless night but he slept well enough to be OK the next morning. He went into the office for a few hours and that helped him to stop his head from running around in circles. Regardless, he still could not banish the fear that Kari was lying to him. He finally left work and on the drive home he decided to take Kari up on her offer and visit her in Corpus.

Kari was surprised when he called and told her that he was going to come down for a long weekend. He could get away from work because he was basically cleaning up some loose ends. He was not involved in any start-up projects so his time was almost his own.

Instead of driving down he opted to fly and the second week in December found him on a plane from Savannah to Corpus Christi. He hardly remembered the three-hour flight that included a stopover in Houston. His mind was still swirling around Kari's possible involvement with Mike. Up until he settled into his seat in Savannah, he had kept himself busy and didn't dwell too much on why he was making the trip.

Kari was waiting at the baggage claim area and when she saw him coming down the escalator, she ran up and waited at the bottom for him. He was no sooner off the step then she was in his arms and kissing him as if they hadn't seen each other in a year.

She was wearing a winter-white, linen dress with a box neckline and a flared skirt that showed off her tanned legs and slip on sandals. She was beautiful and he felt a pang of guilt that he mistrusted her based upon Donna's information. As far as he was concerned, Donna was not the most trustworthy person he had ever known.

"Oh, I'm so glad you decided to come," she gushed hugging his arm fiercely to her side as they walked to the baggage claim belt. "I can't wait for you to see my, I mean our condo. How was your flight? Did everything go OK?"

Ray grinned at her non-stop talking that he attributed to her excitement at having him there. He lost himself in her obvious happiness and some of his fears were allayed for the time being. He was surprised when she indicated a Lincoln Town Car as their transportation and as soon as they walked up to it, a uniformed driver jumped out and took his bags.

She explained that it was easier to hire a car than to depend upon a taxi and her company used this service when they had potential buyers come to town. Once in the back seat, she moved closer to him and pulled him to her for a long kiss.

"I missed you. It seemed more like two months than two weeks. When do you think you can move here? I've already made some contacts and I think I have a great idea that we can work on together. Interested?"

"Do I have a choice?" he kidded.

"Oh, you," she pouted and pulled him in for another long kiss. "I hope there's no traffic, I can't wait to get you to the condo."

"Are you sure you are the Karen that I used to be married to? She would be around 42 now and you act much younger. I'd better ask the driver to stop the car and let me out or I'll be arrested for sex with a minor."

"You'll see how young I can act when we get there. Now stop talking like that or I'll throw you out."

It felt good to be able to joke with her and Ray was relieved that he couldn't detect anything the matter with the way she was acting.

"You're a jealous old fool," he told himself. "Stop worrying about getting hurt again and go with it. Since when is Donna a good source of information? You've got a good thing going here."

"Here we are," she reported and jumped out of the car before the driver could open the door.

"Well? What do you think?" she asked him as they stood on the balcony overlooking the Gulf.

"Wow!" Ray said. "What a great view. You can watch the hurricanes come in across the water."

"Oh, stop it. Do you want to live here with me or not?"

"Is that an offer," he turned to her and held her gently in his arms. "Are we ready for this?"

"I'm ready," she snuggled into his chest. "I've been ready for a long time. You are the first and will be the only man to share my bed here. C'mon, I'll show you the bedroom?"

It was quick, almost too quick, but totally satisfying to both of them. They lay on their backs holding hands.

Looking out through the sliding doors at the puffy clouds scudding past, his mind wandered to Donna's comment. Deciding to bite the bullet he rolled onto his side towards her.

"Guess who stopped by the Sunday after Thanksgiving?"

She turned her head and looked at him.

"Who?"

"Donna."

"Donna? What did she want?"

"I think she wanted to get into my pants."

Kari's eyes narrowed.

"Did she?"

"No!"

"Did she tell you that she and Mike are split?"

"Yes. I figure that's why she wanted my body. She hadn't had sex in a while."

"I know Donna and she never goes without sex for too long. Speaking about getting in someone's pants, I saw Mike about six months ago in New Orleans. I'm sure he was back on drugs and he was hinting that we should get together."

"What were you doing in New Orleans?"

"I was on my way up to the rehab center to give another one of my talks and I saw him in the hotel where I usually spend a night. Why?"

"Just wondering."

"I think he was meeting someone else there because he kept looking at his watch."

A sense of relief flooded Ray.

"Probably so. C'mere!" he said and pulled on her shoulder to turn her towards him.

"Again? Are you sure you can get it up old man?"

"No, I just want to cuddle. Are you OK with that?"

"I'm OK with anything you want to do," she sighed and melted into him with her face in the crook of his neck. Anything."

Later, Kari showed him around the area and they ate dinner in a food court at a shopping mall.

"I'd like you to come with me to a Chamber of Commerce party the day after tomorrow," she told him.

"Party? I didn't come prepared to go to a party," he complained. "Why don't you just go without me?"

"Because this is the annual Christmas Party and I want to show you off to my friends and I want you to meet my AA sponsor," she replied. "There's a formal shop in here and we can get you a tux to wear. Why don't we just buy you a new one since the one you have back in Savannah is probably ratty looking by now. It's old."

"Can I get one with a white tie?"

"White? Why would you want a white tie? White ties are for weddings."

"Yes, I know. I want it to wear to our wedding."

"Our wedding?" she looked up at him with wide eyes. "When is our wedding?"

"As soon as you can arrange it," he replied. "Tomorrow if you want."

"Oh, my God! I love you!" she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him to the amusement of the Christmas shopping crowds in the mall. "Why didn't you warn me?"