Nice Guy

Chapter 6: Waiting

The next two months were routine. The weather shifted into fall, and we had our first hard frost. I was transferring dead plants to the compost pile one evening, and our female border collie, Star, escaped the yard. She ran into the road, and she was hit and killed by a car. Star died instantly. The driver was apologetic; it wasn't his fault. I buried her on the property.

That night I cried myself to sleep. I was just overwhelmed: Star's sudden death, my disintegrating marriage, my changing life. I slept hard and woke up clear and refreshed. Felt like I had turned a corner.

I continued to visit Gail on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Our friendship grew and deepened. It became part of my weekly routine, and it helped with my depression and loneliness.

The people at work became aware of the impending divorce. My administrative assistant, Laura, handed me a list one morning.

"What's this?" I asked looking a list with six names, all women in the office.

"That's a list of the women in the office who want to date you when your divorce is final."

"You've got to be kidding!" I responded.

"They all want an even chance with you, Greg," she explained. "All you have to do is agree not to make any "final" decisions until you've dated everyone on the list at least one time."

"No, this is ridiculous!" I said.

"Look, Greg, help me out here." Laura pleaded. "I'm just trying to organize what could be a chaotic situation. I need to get these girls back to work, instead of gossiping. Just agree, okay?"

"You're not on the list," I joked.

"I'm happily married, and you know it," she snapped back. "But if I wasn't, my name would be at the top of the list."

"Okay, okay. For the sake of office peace, I agree."

"Thank you, Greg."

By the end of the week, two more names had been added to the list.

Doug called me to let me know that the thirty-day notice would be given to Janice tomorrow.

"If she doesn't respond, the divorce will be completely uncontested," Doug explained. "Because we are splitting the assets fifty-fifty, and the cause is abandonment, you won't even have to go to court. Just come by my office the day after and pick up your copy of the final papers."

I was at Gail's for Wednesday dinner the next evening when Jan called and left a message. I played it when I returned home:

"You just won't give up, will you, asshole? Your tricks won't work. I tore up these papers, too. Just stay away, Greg. You try to call us; I'll put your ass in jail! Fuck you, Greg!"

I called Doug the next day and let him know.

"Greg, this could get messy if she ever returns to Spokane. I suggest that we file a restraining order the same day the divorce is final to keep Jan off your property unless she has your written permission to be on the property. She would be allowed to go into the house once with a sheriff's deputy when you are not there to collect any personal belongings, but that's it."

"Okay," I agreed. "Do it."

Chapter 7: Countdown to D-Day

It was two weeks to Divorce Day, or D-Day as the women in my office called it. They were quite excited, and they all planned to wear black arm bands that day. I complained to Laura.

"It's in poor taste, Laura," I started. "I'm ending a thirty-year marriage! I don't feel much like celebrating."

"Greg, with as much pain and depression you've experienced in the past three months, we're all glad it's going to be over soon. You are well liked here, and everyone wants you to feel better."

"Okay, okay," I responded. I never won arguments with Laura.

That night Robert called me. I didn't pick up; I let it go to voice mail:

"Hey, Greg. It's Robert. I haven't heard from you in a while, my friend. The hospice nurse came by today, she said I had two, maybe three weeks left. Not much time. I'd really like to chat with you before I go. Yeah, I'd really like that. Call me back, Greg. Take care, my friend."

Janice is trying to set me up! I thought. That bitch! She wants me in jail for some reason. I don't understand it, I just don't understand it.

Robert called the next evening, too. He left a similar message as the previous night. I didn't pick up. She just won't give up trying to put me in jail!

The following morning, I received an unknown call at work. I checked the caller ID, and it was Bay Area area code. I hit the record button on my phone console and answered.

"Hello, this is Greg McLeod. How can I help you?"

"Hi Greg, this is Joe, Robert's son. How are you?"

"Joe, I can't talk with you. I have a restraining order to follow."

"What restraining order? What are you talking about?"

"I am not allowed any contact with Janice, Robert or any of Robert's immediate family. I have to stay at least fifty-miles away from Robert's home."

"What? Who did this?"

"Ask Janice. Goodbye, Joe," I said as I hung up.

That afternoon I was visited by two Spokane police officers. They said that someone had reported that I had violated a restraining order that morning. I explained that I was unaware of the caller's identity when I picked up the phone, and I played the recording for them. I also told them I had programmed my phone to automatically forward that number to my administrative assistant in the future. They warned me to follow the restraining order, and left.

That bitch was really trying to put me in jail! Go figure.

A week before D-Day, Joe called my home phone and left a message that he had himself removed from the restraining order. He also left the number of an attorney for me to call and confirm. I passed that number to Doug the next morning. He called Joe's attorney and had a copy of the removal order emailed to him. He forwarded it to me and called to assure me it was legal. I could now talk to Joe.

Joe called me at home that evening. I picked up.

"Hi, Joe."

"Greg, what the hell is going on?"

"You will have to ask Janice, Joe. I really don't know what is going on, except Janice seems to be trying to put me in jail."

"Jail? What do you mean?"

"Remember last week when you called me at work? That afternoon, two policemen visited me regarding violating the restraining order. Someone turned me in. Did you tell Janice that we had talked?"

"Yes, I did. She wouldn't tell me anything! She got very angry, and she left to go make a phone call. Did they arrest you?"

"No. I recorded our conversation. When I played it for them, they gave me a warning and left."

"Jesus, I'm sorry, Greg."

"Me, too, Joe."

"Why is she doing this, Greg? You gave her permission to be with Dad, right?"

"No, Joe, I didn't. When I refused, she made up a story about me beating and abusing her and filed that restraining order against me. Now my name is on a "wife beater" list in California and Washington."

"My god, Greg. She told everyone down here that you gave her permission to stay with my Dad until he passed. They've been sleeping and living together for three months."

I said nothing.

"What are you going to do, Greg?"

"I've taken steps to protect myself, Joe. I don't plan on spending any time in jail."

"Dad's close to dying, you know."

"Yes, I know. I listened to his phone messages."

"He really wants to talk with you, Greg."

"If I talk with your Dad, Janice will put me in jail. I don't want to go to jail."

"Do you have any messages for him?"

"I can't do that, Joe. If you pass on a message from me, your action violates the restraining order. Janice will have me arrested."

"Yeah, right."

"But you can do some things for me, Joe."

"Sure. Anything."

"Give your dad a hug for me. Let me know when he passes. And send me a copy of the memorial service announcement. I'd like to send flowers anonymously. Okay?"

"Yeah, I'll do those things for you, Greg. Thanks."

"Thank you, Joe. Good talking with you. Goodbye."

I hung up.

Chapter 8: Celebration

I took D-Day and the day after off from work. I really didn't feel like being around people. I called Gail and told her about D-Day, and she invited me over for dinner, even though it was only Tuesday. Doug called that afternoon and told me it was official. Janice would be served with the final papers and the restraining order the next day.

I didn't say much during my dinner with Gail. She sensed that I needed quiet. We sat on the porch after dinner, but we had to bundle up with coats and hats. We chatted about the neighbors and such. When it was time to leave, Gail invited me back inside to warm up. She took off my coat and hat, and she continued with unbuttoning my shirt.

"Gail, not tonight. I really don't feel like it."

"Young man," she replied, "You really don't know what you want right now. I just know that going back to an empty house is not good for you."

She was right. We took off our clothes and lay down in her bed together. She held me, and I began to cry. I sobbed for over an hour before I drifted off to sleep. I was a mess!

Gail fed me breakfast and asked if I was coming for dinner that night. I said "yes". Gail was a comforting and healing influence. I needed that right now.

I stopped by Doug's office and picked up copies of the divorce papers and the restraining order. I returned home and scanned all the papers having to do with Janice over the past four months, including transcripts of her telephone messages. I made a hard copy and electronic folders with copies of all the paperwork. I figured it might come in handy sometime. I put the electronic files on my flash drive.

I worked around the property doing fall cleanup activities the rest of the day. I moved a cord of wood to a covered area next to the house. It felt good to be physically active.

I joined Gail for dinner. It was a hot and delicious, as usual. We drank hot tea and talked in her living room after dinner. The wind had come up, and the porch was too cold.

"You look like a lost soul, Greg," Gail observed.

"I guess that's how I feel," I responded. "I don't have closure yet for some reason."

"What would bring you closure?"

"I don't know. Maybe if I could talk with Janice and figure out what happened, what went wrong? It feels like a piece is missing. I guess I'm not making much sense."

"I understand, Greg," Gail offered. "You were happily married to Janice for thirty years. She suddenly, without warnin' up and leaves you for another man. You want to know why. That's only reasonable."

I nodded in agreement.

"You be careful, Greg. You're a nice guy. She's been tryin' to put you in jail for the past three months, and she may not stop tryin'. Don't jeopardize your freedom by workin' to get answers from her. Okay?"

"Yeah. Okay," I replied.

We talked for another hour. Then I began to leave.

"Greg, I'm not going to send you home in the condition you are in. You're comin' to bed with me."

I offered no resistance. She undressed me, put me to bed, and made gentle love to me. Then, she held me while I cried myself to sleep again. She knew what I needed.

The next day I went to work and spoke with Laura.

"Tell everyone on the date list that I am imposing a thirty-day, date-free mourning period," I began. "Scramble the list order, and I will date two per week starting at the top of the list until I reached the bottom. I will begin in thirty days."

That gave me some time to heal.

Thanksgiving was four weeks away, and I received seven offers from families to spend Thanksgiving with them. I appreciated their concern. No one wanted me to spend the holidays alone. But what I wanted was to just be alone.

Janice left me another voice message when she received the legal notices. I didn't listen to it for a few days. Finally, I just wanted to get it over with. I pushed "play".

"Greg, you fucker. Determined to the very end to screw things up, aren't you? It won't work. I tore up those envelopes just like all the others. He's dying, Greg, and you just won't give it up, will you? Damn you to hell, Greg. Fuck you!"

Ten days after D-Day Robert died. Joe sent me an email with the specifics and a memorial service notice. I sent Joe a very nice sympathy card telling him how much I loved his father and what a good man he was. I couldn't send one to Becky because of the restraining order. I hoped he would share the card I sent him with her. A wonderful and bright flower arrangement was delivered to the memorial service, sent by Anonymous.

It was over.

A week later a DVD arrived in the mail from Joe. It contained a brief note.

"Dad asked me to send this to you after he died. Joe"

I put the DVD in the player, turned on the television, and sat down to watch.

Chapter 9: Farewell

Robert was sitting in a chair in his living room.

"Hello, Greg! Janice is out of the house shopping, and I asked Joe to make this video for me. If you're watching, this I'm dead!

"Joe filled me in on his conversation with you. And he showed me the restraining order. Tough luck, bro. I don't know all the details, but I know enough to piece things together. It seems that Janice is really pissed at you.

"I understand now why you didn't talk to me. I wouldn't talk to you either if someone was going to throw my sorry ass in jail for it!

"So I decided to give you my farewell in a video. Sorry this is one-sided. The best I could do under the circumstances.

"I also understand why you didn't want her to stay with me. If I were in your shoes, I would have said "no", too. She's got one sweet pussy, Greg. It saved my life. Really, it did!

"Right after Karen died; I wanted to end it all. I was dying anyhow, so why not? A few months one way or the other, does it really make a difference?

"I took my revolver, got into bed and just sat with the gun in my lap, trying to get up enough courage to put it up to my head and pull the trigger. Jan climbed into bed with me, gently took the gun away, and made sweet love to me. That loving she offered kept me going one more day. She's never left my bed, Greg. She's kept me alive and going all these months.

"She loves you, Greg. She never stopped loving you. But she loves me, too. Something inside her – like a compulsion – caused her to keep me alive. If I died a moment before my time, she would not be able to live with herself. I know that.

"You're probably pissed at me. I don't blame you. But I don't care. I've been fucking your wife every day for the past few months, and I enjoyed every erotic, orgasmic minute of it.

"Get over it! You are alive, man. And I'm dead. Don't waste your time hating a dead man.

"I am worried about Jan. Karen's death hit her hard, real hard. I wanted her to get counseling, but she refused. She's in denial about how death, and being close to death, is affecting her.

I'm worried that she will come apart after my death, just have a complete breakdown. I've left instructions with Joe to watch her closely after I pass and get her up to Spokane as soon as possible. You may need to put her into therapy. Maybe even hospitalize her for a short while.

"You may be wondering why I don't do something now. Like, tell Jan what I know about the restraining order, get her into therapy, or something.

"The fact is, Greg, I'm a sorry son-of –a-bitch. I'm dying, and I'm selfish. And I want as much of your wife's loving attention and pussy as I can get.

"If our roles were reversed, you would probably do the right thing. But I'm not you. You're a better man than I, Greg. I've always admired that about you. You are a kind and gentle man, and you've been taken advantage of. Nice guys never finish first, Greg! Get with the program!

I do have one request, the request of a dying man. I want you to look in on Joe and Becky from time to time. You're like an uncle to them, Greg, and you are a good role model. With Karen and me gone, I want them to have someone older and wiser to consult with when they have problems. I want that person to be you. Please do this, Greg. Not for me, but for Joe and Becky.

"I've left you a surprise, something to balance the books between us. I know you've been through hell these past months. That's just the way it goes. Maybe that surprise will sweeten your pain somewhat.

"Adios, Greg. See you on the other side!"

The video ended. That son-of-a-bitch, I thought. At least he's dead now.

I uploaded the DVD video to my computer and burned several copies. I set aside one copy for Doug, and I put another copy with the folder a made a few days earlier.

I watched the video again a few days later with Gail. She shook her head.

"What a piece of work!" she commented. "What does Janice see in him anyway?"

I remained quiet as I retrieved the video from Gail's player.

"How are you feeling about the video, Greg? What's going on?"

"I feel all jumbled up inside," I replied. "I am worried about Jan. Maybe the divorce wasn't the right thing to do. I am so pissed at Robert. I thought we were friends, we've know each other for over thirty years, since college. And he rubs my nose in the fact that he was fucking Jan. He cares nothing for me or my feelings!"

Gail stood behind me and massaged my shoulders. My eyes started to tear.

"Why does everyone seem to think it's okay to walk all over a nice guy? Why am I such a nice guy?" I asked.

She stood me up and led me back to her bedroom saying, "Let me show you a good time, Mr. Nice Guy."

For the next two hours I forgot about Jan, Robert and most everything else.

Chapter 10: The Surprise

Less than one week before the end of my thirty day mourning period, and the top two women on the list were asking me to set times and days for their date with me. I went to Laura.

"I need some help here, Laura," I stated. "Next week is Thanksgiving, and I'd like to postpone the date list until the week after, okay?"

"I think I can mange that," she answered. "But it will cost you!"

"Blackmail?" I replied. "Okay, what do you want?"

"Thanksgiving dinner with my family, Greg."

"Okay. Deal."

I did enjoy Thanksgiving with Laura's family. It was the best social outing in many months. Maybe I was ready for dating now.

The Monday after Thanksgiving, I received a telephone call mid-morning.

"Mr. McLeod, I'm William Farnsworth. I represent Mr. Robert Klein's estate. May I have a few minutes of your time, please?"

"Okay, go ahead," I replied.

"Thank you, Mr. McLeod. I'm turning on the speaker phone right now. There are two other people in the room with me who would like to hear what you have to say."

"Who are the other people?"

"Joe Klein and Janice McLeod, your wife."

Before I could say anything, Janice began talking.

"Greg, honey, I know that you are probably really upset with me. I know that you didn't want me to stay with Robert, but I just had too! I know that you will forgive me when I explain it all to you."

"Please excuse her outburst, Mr. McLeod," Farnsworth interrupted. "Your wife had a nervous breakdown during Robert's funeral, and she was hospitalized. She was just released today. She is anxious to be reunited with you."

"Mr. Farnsworth, please understand that I am speaking only to you," I said. "I am under a restraining order filed by Janice in which she gave false testimony that I was an abusive spouse. As far as I know, this restraining order is still in effect. If I speak to Janice, I will be arrested and jailed. She has tried to have me arrested several times already."

"Mr. McLeod, I am unaware of any restraining order," Farnsworth stated.

I heard Jan yelling "No, no, no, no" in the background.

"Mr. Farnsworth, may I have your email address? I have several electronic files that I would like you to review and share with Janice and Joe. I'd also like you to contact my attorney with any legal questions you might have. When that has been completed, please call me back."

Farnsworth gave me his email address and we said our goodbyes. I emailed everything: both restraining orders, divorce papers, message transcripts, Robert's video, and a timeline I created of the past four months. Then I waited.