The hotel bar was packed with college football fans. They were screaming at the bank of televisions hung on the far wall. Florida State was playing Clemson and by the sounds of the crowd, they were losing. I had no interest in the game. I was waiting for someone.
Looking in the mirror behind the bar I watched her approach. The look on her face told me she was more than a little uncomfortable. I already knew she wasn't happy with me.
"Patricia," I said, without even bothering to turn around to face her. I held up my empty glass and motioned to the bartender for another. "Make it a double this time," I told him. I had a soft spot for good tequila.
"Mr. Moore, I did what you requested." She paused. "You know, you're not going to get any of your deposits back." I swiveled on my bar stool to face her. "Do Mrs. Moore and your daughter know what you had me do?" Patricia was the very efficient and very expensive wedding planner my wife hired for her daughter's wedding.
"First of all, I don't have a daughter. I have, much to my dismay, a stepdaughter. Secondly, my wife is currently at her daughter's nuptials, but will find out everything I've done when she comes here from the church. And if she doesn't I have no doubt you will bring her up to speed."
"Mr. Moore, don't you think you should have discussed this with Lisa and your daughter..." I gave her an ugly look. "I mean with Faith before you did it?"
"Patricia, whose name is on every contract?"
"Yours, sir."
"And, whose name is on the credit card that you've all but melted?"
"Yours, Mr. Moore. But you know, they're not going to be very happy."
"And your point?" I turned around, picked up my double shot and threw it to the back of my throat. "Now, if you don't mind, I've got a lot of packing to do. Give my regards to my lovely wife if you don't mind, because as of right now I'm turning off my phone. Enjoy the evening." With that said, I walked out to the hotel parking lot, got in my car, and headed for home. I had a lot to do.
Patricia was right; Faith was going to be livid. I'd had Patricia cancel the open bar, the four-piece band, and her honeymoon at Sandals Resort in Jamaica. I'd already paid the caterer for the food, so everyone could have one more free dinner on good old Steve. I just looked on it as their Last Supper. Not mine, thankfully.
I'll bet no one even realizes I'm not there. Faith won't, that's for sure.
All I'd heard for the last year was, "Greg wouldn't have done it that way, or Greg was such a loving husband and father too bad he's gone, and Daddy would have loved Robert."
You see, Daddy slash Greg, Lisa's first husband, died seven and a half years ago from lymphoma. Lisa and Saint Greg had three children. Debra, twenty-seven, was the oldest. She married her childhood sweetheart just months before her beloved father passed away. Tim is twenty-three and in his last year at Stanford. He was the only one of the three who actually seemed to like me. And finally there was Faith, twenty, daddy's little girl, whose wedding I wasn't attending.
As I drove on, I was glad I stopped drinking when I did. I sure as hell didn't need a DUI on my record. And if I stayed at the hotel, I would have finished the bottle, had a few choice words with a couple of people, and probably not have gotten done what I needed to, which was end this charade of a marriage.
Lisa and I met six years ago at a sales conference in Cabo San Lucas. I am the Regional VP of sales and was one of the featured speakers from the home office. Lisa, on the other hand, is a marketing specialist. Her division had sent her there for cross training in outside sales. Even though it was being held at a plush resort, everyone was required to not only attend, but also participate. This wasn't a freebie vacation.
On the second day, I was paired up with Lisa and one other couple for of all things, a scavenger hunt. I'd like to brag and say we won, but why lie. Of the ten teams, we came in forth. At least we made the top five and went on to the next round. After four more rounds our team ended up in second place. We each won a five-day stay at one of the Disney timeshares in Orlando Florida for two. That night over dinner, and more than a few drinks, Lisa and I got to know each other a little better.
Lisa told me her husband had passed away a couple of years earlier. I told her I wish my ex-wife, Brenda, would die a miserable death. "She cheated on me with my boss," I told her.
"That has to be a little awkward. You know him being your boss and all."
"Ex-boss. When the higher ups found out about their little dalliance, he was transferred to a different division and I was given his job. I don't think they wanted a lawsuit over it and in essence I was being paid off in a way as not to make waves."
"Looks like you both got something out of the deal," Lisa replied a little hesitantly.
"Not really. David dumped Brenda before he left and was let go six months later. I on the other hand am still paying alimony for the next eleven months. Then I'm finally free of her."
"Counting the days?"
"You know it. I was going to pay the last installment in pennies but thought what the hell, I'd probably get into trouble and she's not worth it." Lisa smiled and agreed.
Over the next three days we became friends and exchanged personal e-mail addresses. I had her work email, but I wanted to steer clear of sending her anything over the company server. There were too many prying eyes.
We emailed, talked on the phone, and even Skyped getting to know one another better. Then in June, we each redeemed our vacation packages at the same time. Lisa brought along her sister—I went alone.
It was a magical five days. Her sister played the tourist and we just played.
"Steve, I haven't had this much fun in years," she said, as we danced in one of the clubs after dinner. She wasn't the only one enjoying herself. I was having the time of my life. On the third night, I don't know if it was because of the two margaritas we each had, or that we each hadn't been with anyone in a long time, we ended up in my room. Looking back, she was by far the aggressor. She ruined my shirt by ripping it off me.
"I always wanted to do that, she said the next morning, lying in bed, handing me two pearl white buttons that, until last night, had been attached to my shirt. We never left each other's side those last two days.
"I don't want this week to end," Lisa whispered on our last night, after a fantastic lovemaking session.
"You make it sound like we're never going to see each other again. I have no intension of letting you go. Some way, I'm going to make this work for us."
I or should I say we made it work. Two weeks later I was at her house meeting her children and parents. The Barbeque was fun but having Lisa in my arms made the four-hour drive to her house seem like a walk across the street.
Six months later I was on one knee proposing. When she said yes, I thought I'd burst, I was so happy. We married three months later in a small intimate ceremony, and I became part of her established family, or so I thought.
Okay, I made a lot of stupid mistakes. My first mistake was moving into her house. We should have sold both of our houses and started fresh in a different one. I moved into her and Greg's house and sold my condo. Second, even after five and a half years, the kids, especially the girls, let me know on more than one occasion that I wasn't their father, and I didn't even qualify for stepfather status. I was just the guy who married their mother. I thought in time they'd change. I was wrong.
When Faith and I had a disagreement one night and she stormed out of the house, I was labeled the bad guy.
"Hon, tell her you're sorry and that you were wrong." I looked at my wife in utter disbelief.
"I wasn't wrong. Faith is acting like a spoiled brat. She has no problem taking my money, but when it comes to listening to reason, she doesn't want to hear it."
"She just a little high strung and you're right, her father and I spoiled her rotten. But, she does love you, just not like her father." At that moment I should have run. I should have packed my bags, moved back to where I came from, and forgotten about trying to fit in a family that just put up with me for their mother's sake. But I didn't.
When Faith got engaged I thought maybe, just maybe, she'd come around. She did, only when it suited her. When the expenses started to skyrocket I held my tongue. When my suggestions were ignored, I said nothing to Faith but expressed my displeasure to Lisa. She just kissed me and told me to be patient.
