Audrey's Awaening -

Audrey and I giggled like a couple of schoolchildren caught by the teacher whispering during class. We quickly adjusted our clothes and looked around for any telltale evidence of our intimacy.

"Do you mind getting the door for her while I finish up in here?" Said Audrey with a smile as she adjusted her hair.

I nodded and made my way to the front door where the loud knocking remained unabated. "Open the door, Mom," shouted Laura from the front porch.

I pulled the door open, and Laura froze, her hand raised to make one more knock. "Where is she?" said Laura, clearly angry.

"Hi, Laura," I smiled, "It's nice to see you too."

"Don't start your bullshit with me, Jessie," she said with a scowl as she brushed past me, literally shouldering me out of the way as she entered.

"Mom?" She called, as she strode purposefully into the house. "Where are you?"

"She's in the kitchen, Laura," I responded calmly. "And there's no need to yell."

She stopped and turned toward me, her eyes calculating. "I'm a bit surprised to see you here, Jessie. Especially after the shit storm of a morning you helped create. Are you still living in my mom's house? I would have thought you'd have found a place of your own by now."

I shrugged, "Mom asked me to stay, and I accepted."

She rolled her eyes, "And tell me this, Jessie," she said, facing me with her hands on her hips, "On what planet is it a good idea for you to take MY mother to Las Vegas for a weekend? That's just so wrong on so many levels I can't even begin to comprehend it."

I shrugged, having no real rebuttal. I mean, she did have a point. However altruistic my intentions may have been at the time, the fact remains that typically sons-in-law do not take their mothers-in-law on weekend getaways.

Laura turned back toward the kitchen as I closed the door. I listened as she entered the kitchen, her voice raised in anger, while Audrey's responses were calm and placating.

I didn't completely re-enter the kitchen, I paused in the doorway and leaned against the frame, just watching. Audrey remained at the kitchen counter, calmly peeling potatoes, cutting them into small wedges, and placing them in a pot of water, while Laura stood behind her with her arms crossed over her chest.

"I just got off the phone with Daddy," said Laura. "And he is EXTREMELY upset. What the hell happened here, Mom? He said you threw him out of the house."

Audrey paused, looking over her shoulder at Laura. "And?" She responded. "Didn't he offer any more information than that?"

Laura paused, seemingly confused by her mother's calm demeanor. "He... said there was some kind of misunderstanding... and that you flew off the handle. I mean SERIOUSLY, Mom... did you really throw his clothes off of the balcony?"

Audrey laughed softly and continued peeling her potatoes, "In the heat of the moment, I guess I did," she responded. "In hindsight, I suppose it now seems kind of childish and petulant. And I suppose I could have handled things more maturely. But, at the time, it just felt really good to do it." She looked back at Laura again, "And, given the same set of circumstances, I would most certainly do it again."

Finished with her potatoes, Audrey took the pot, placed it onto the stove, and turned the burner on.

"What in God's name could he have possibly done to deserve that kind of treatment, Mom? Daddy said it was just a big misunderstanding and that you just wouldn't listen to reason."

"Why don't you sit down at the table so we can talk about this calmly," smiled Audrey. She turned to me, "Would you please open us a bottle of wine, Jessie?"

As I took up a bottle and looked for the corkscrew, Laura responded angrily. "I don't WANT to sit down, Mom. I want some answers."

Audrey smiled, "Yes, well... You can continue to stand here and berate me to your heart's content, but I'm going to sit down and relax with a glass of wine, I've been cooking and baking most of the day."

"How can you just calmly go on as if nothing has happened while Daddy's in some motel room somewhere? And what have you done to your hair? You look like an older woman trying to look younger with that hairstyle."

Audrey smiled as she sat at the table, primping her hair casually, "Don't you like it? I think it's kind of a cute style. Jessie likes it too. Don't you Jessie?"

I smiled and nodded, "I think it looks great, Mom."

Laura rolled her eyes, "God, you are such a suck-up," she said, glowering at me.

"Hey," I responded in mock offense, "I resemble that remark." I poured three glasses of wine, handed one to Laura, and then joined Audrey at the table.

"Come on and sit down," said Audrey, patting the chair beside her.

"I prefer to stand, thank you," Laura responded, taking two rather large gulps of her wine. "And I don't like your hair."

Audrey sighed and took a deep breath. "Well... I'm sorry you don't like it, sweetheart. I felt I needed a change in my life. In fact, there will be a lot of changes around here from now on."

"My key didn't work, Mom. Did you change the locks on the front door?" Asked Laura, taking several swallows of wine.

"I most certainly did," Audrey responded with a little smile. "And not just the front door, every door into the house. Your father is no longer permitted to come and go whenever he pleases in this house."

"Jesus Christ," muttered Laura with a shake of her head. "This just keeps getting better and better. What about me? Don't I get a new key either?"

Audrey glanced at me and then shook her head, "I'm afraid not. At least not yet. You and your father are just too close, and I'd be afraid you'd give him your key or have one made for him. You're my daughter and I love you dearly, and you're always welcome here. But, for the time being, you're going to have to knock like every other visitor."

"In...fucking...credible," said Laura with a shake of her head. "What on earth has gotten into you, Mom? Daddy said this whole misunderstanding thing got blown completely out of proportion because you were upset that he couldn't take you to Las Vegas for your birthday."

"Is that what he told you?" Asked Audrey, looking mildly surprised.

"Among other things," retorted Laura as she took the final swallow of wine from her glass. "He said he promised, he would make it up to you, but that you were so mad and upset that you went to Las Vegas with Jessie instead.

"That's just not true," I said in Audrey's defense.

"And YOU, keep out of this," she hissed, pointing her finger at me accusingly. "I'll deal with you later. I think I'll probably sue you for divorce when this is all over."

"Why wait? I'm ready right now." I interjected.

"And, on what planet is it a good idea to..." She paused, turning her face to me as my words finally sank in. "Wait... What?"

"You heard me," I said. "I think it's time we made it official. I mean, we're not a couple anymore. We haven't been in quite a while now. We might as well get the paperwork completed and be done with the whole pretense."

Laura gaped at me open-mouthed as I calmly reached over to refill her glass with a healthy portion of wine.

"I'll tell you what, Laura," chimed in Audrey with a smile. "Why don't you call my lawyer? Maybe he'll give us a two-for-one family discount for both our divorces."

Laura gingerly took a seat at the table across from me and to Audrey's left. "You're going to divorce Daddy?" she said with complete astonishment. "Over WHAT? Something as stupid and childish as being angry because he couldn't take you to Las Vegas?"

Audrey took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I had hoped I might be able to shield you from the gruesome details because I know you have a special bond with your father. But, listen to me carefully, Laura. I was NOT angry with him because he had to work on my birthday and couldn't take me to Las Vegas. It really wasn't that big a deal and I took it in stride. I knew we'd just make the trip another time and I was perfectly all right with that. I just wanted to spend my birthday together with him. I drove to where he was staying and went to his hotel room. When I got there, hoping to surprise him... I ended up surprising myself even more by finding him in his room with another woman."

"No," gasped Laura. "Daddy would never..." She stopped when a tear fell from Audrey's eye and ran down her cheek.

"She was devastated when she returned home," I said, taking up the story as Audrey found some tissues to compose herself. "She told me what happened, and I was as surprised then as you are now. But I wasn't about to let her birthday pass by on such a sad note. I called Susan, and she found me an excellent rate on a couple of hotel suites in Las Vegas. I made dining room reservations for us as well, and Larry donated his limo services to get us there and back. It was supposed to be a quick overnight stay in Las Vegas with a nice dinner for Mom's birthday. That's all."

"But Daddy said you were there for much longer than that," she said, looking at Audrey.

Audrey nodded, "Honestly, honey, I was having such a wonderful time. I sweet-talked Jessie into staying longer. And, I suppose I also wanted to put off the confrontation with your father as long as possible. I needed time to process my thoughts."

Laura gulped down more wine. "So, what happened? Daddy said you wouldn't even talk to him when you got home. You never even gave him a chance to explain. I'm sure..."

"Oh, I was more than ready and willing to talk things over with him," responded Audrey, cutting Laura off in mid-sentence. "I was even willing to chalk the whole thing up to a little bit of middle-aged craziness and then try to put it all behind me."

"But you didn't," retorted Laura disparagingly. "Why not, Mom?"

Anger flared on Audrey's face at her daughter's disapproving tone of voice. "Because, when I got home, I discovered he had spent the rest of the weekend here... in this house... in MY house, Laura... with that other woman. He had even slept with her... in MY bed, Laura." She paused and bit her lip as if weighing whether to continue. "And he had also fucked her in my bed..." she continued as another tear trickled from her eye to stream down her cheek, her voice little more than a hoarse whisper.

Laura's eyes widened. She glanced at me and then back at her Mother as if unable to believe her ears. She shook her head as if confused. "No..." she said. "No... I can't believe this. Do you even HEAR yourself, Mom? You have to be making this bullshit up. Why are you doing this?"

"Laura!" I said, much louder than I had intended. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Just look into your Mother's eyes, you can SEE she's not making any of this up."

Laura looked back at Audrey and shook her head. "Come on, Mom. What makes you think he had sex with her here in your bed?"

Audrey composed her features once more and cleared her throat, "Because, Laura... before leaving for Las Vegas, I changed the sheets on the bed. When I got home, he was here with that woman and the bed had been slept in. The sheets were... stained."

"That... doesn't necessarily prove anything," said Laura, her voice suddenly losing its confidence.

"Believe me, Laura," I said quietly, "I know cum stains when I see them."

"And so do I," said Audrey. "And... for me... that was the last straw. I couldn't believe he would disrespect me... disrespect our marriage that way. In that instant, I knew Ken and I were done. All I could see was red. I gathered up his suitcase and armfuls of his clothes and... well, you know what happened then."

Laura reached into her purse, took out her cell phone, and dialed. "I'm going to get to the bottom of this right now. I'm calling Daddy... and I'm going to tell him everything you're saying about him."

"Excellent," said Audrey, calmly taking a sip of wine. She glanced at me and then back to Laura, "Be sure to ask him about Candy."

"Candy?" returned Laura, looking confused. "What Candy?"

Ken answered her call and in the silence of the kitchen, we could all hear his voice.

"Daddy, it's me. I'm at the house with Mom and... well, she's telling me some pretty outrageous things."

"What kind of things, sweetheart?" returned Ken, his voice sounding thin from the phone.

"Daddy... tell me the truth. Tell me you didn't have an affair. You never cheated on Mom, did you?"

There was a pause while Audrey and I assumed Ken was collecting his thoughts. "Laura, sweetheart? Um... I'm a little ashamed to have to admit it, baby girl. But, yeah... there was a time when I did stray from our marriage. I know it was a mistake, and I promised myself it would never happen again."

Laura looked stunned, obviously surprised by her father's response.

"What else is your Mother saying about me, sweetheart?" Ken continued.

Laura looked at Audrey. Audrey whispered one word to her: "Candy."

Laura frowned as if annoyed her mother would be so fixated on such a stupid word. She sighed heavily and spoke, "She says I should mention the word, Candy," she said.

Another silence ensued from Ken. "Listen to me, baby girl. Candy is the woman's name. What is she saying about her?"

Laura's eyes flew wide, and she turned her face to Audrey. "Oh," she said, her voice little more than a whisper. "Was... was she with you here at the house this morning?"

"Well... yes... yes she was," stammered Ken, clearly sounding agitated. "But... but it wasn't what your Mother thought it was. Candy was just here... to keep me company, that's all it was. I was so upset and worried about Audrey when I got home and she wasn't there, I....I..."

Laura closed her eyes as tears welled. She pressed her lips tightly together, her jaw muscles standing out. "Oh, Daddy," she murmured, her voice trembling. "And was she with you in your hotel room too?"

"No, no, no... wait, Laura, listen to me. I know it SOUNDS bad, but it was all harmless. Your mother completely misunderstood. Listen, honey, Candy's right here. Let me put her on the phone... she... she can tell you the truth about everything that happened."

Laura put the phone down on the kitchen table and switched the sound to the speaker. Audrey handed her some tissues and Laura took them and wiped her eyes as Candy's voice emanated from the phone.

"Hello? Laura? My name is Candy and... well your father has told me so much about you. I almost feel as if I know you already."

After a long pause where Laura said nothing and just shook her head.

"Laura? Are you there?" said Candy.

"Fuck you, Candy," said Laura.

"Laura, I had hoped you would let me explain..."

"No," said Laura, raising her voice. "I don't want to hear another word from you. Fuck you...fuck you...fuck you!" With that, she ended the phone call by slamming the ball of her fist down on the phone.

Audrey went to her immediately, kneeling beside her chair as Laura began to sob. She turned and embraced Audrey. "I'm so sorry, Mom," she said, laying her cheek against Audrey's head. "I'm so sorry."

Audrey was brought to tears as well and the two women just held one another for several long moments until the stove made a dinging sound to indicate it was time to take the roast out of the oven.

"I'll get that," I said, jumping up to attend to the roast.

"Why don't we all calm down and have some dinner," said Audrey, wiping her eyes as she stood and made her way toward the roasting pan I had set on the counter. "Everything is all prepared."

I helped Audrey by setting the table as she sliced the roast and scooped mashed potatoes into a large serving dish. She quickly drained the pot of green beans and we all sat down to eat.

Still rather despondent, Laura ate very little and merely toyed with her food. As Audrey and I cleared the table and put the dirty dishes into the dishwasher, Laura watched her mother move about the kitchen.

"I've never seen that dress before, Mom," said Laura once we had rejoined her at the table. "Is it new?"

"Yes," responded Audrey, looking pleased. "I bought three new dresses in Las Vegas. The casinos have some wonderful boutique shops inside."

"It's a pretty dress," said Laura, looking it over as Audrey sat across from her. "But... it looks almost a little too tight, and definitely a little too short for you too."

"Really?" said Audrey, looking down at the hemline, "You think this dress is too short?"

"Well, yeah... Mom. I mean, don't you think the hem is a little too high for a woman your age?"

"Actually, I kind of like it this way. I've still got pretty nice legs for a woman my age, so I've been thinking I might like showing them off a little more. Especially if I'm going to be single again soon."

Laura rolled her eyes, "What, you're going to dress to attract men now?"

"And why shouldn't I?" Audrey said with a frown toward Laura. "It was kind of nice getting a lot of attention when we went out to dinner in Las Vegas. It made me feel pretty, and girly, and desirable. "

"Why? Which dress did you wear out to dinner in Las Vegas?"

Audrey laughed, "You haven't seen it yet, but two of the three dresses I bought in Las Vegas are... well let's just say, they're more than a little on the sexy side."

"No," said Laura, looking at her mother in astonishment. "When you say sexy, what do you mean exactly"

Audrey's mouth curled into a hint of a smile, clearly enjoying her daughter's discomfort with the subject matter. "Oh, well, first of all, both dresses were cut very low in the front. I was showing a fair amount of cleavage."

Laura's mouth dropped and she stared at her mother in disbelief. "You didn't," she gasped softly.

"I most certainly did," returned Audrey with a satisfied smile, "And if you think this dress is too short, the others came to about here," she said, indicating a point above the middle of her thighs.

Laura rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Okay," she said, "Now I know you're pulling my leg."

Audrey shrugged as if to say 'think what you will'.

At that moment my cell phone buzzed. A glance at the screen told me it was Jo. I stepped out of the kitchen to take the call while Audrey and Laura continued their conversation.

"Hey there, cutie," I answered, "Are you guys on a break?"

Jo laughed, "Not exactly," she said. She quickly related how the casino had canceled their final night with pay. After the performance she and I had done, the previous night, the powers that be wanted to leave that impression in everyone's mind.

"So, would it be all right with you and Audrey if I showed up on her doorstep tonight instead of tomorrow night?" asked Jo.

"Absolutely," I smiled. "Are you on the road now?"

"Yes," she responded, "I just crossed the border into California a little whiie ago."

"Okay... you have the address on your GPS?"

"I do,' she said and I could hear the smile in her voice.

"Great! Call again when you pull up in front and I'll come out and guide you to the back garage to lock up your vehicle."

"Okay, see you soon," she said and signed off.

Audrey gave me a quizzical look as I reentered the kitchen, "Everything okay?"

"That was Jo," I smiled, quickly giving her the details of the call.

Audrey smiled, "Excellent, I made sure Susan's old room was ready earlier."

"So," chimed in Laura, looking disgruntled, "Who the hell is this Joe guy? Mom just told me he's going to be moving in here with you."

Audrey glanced at me and we both laughed. As I opened my mouth to explain the error to Laura, Audrey held up her hand, "No, wait... let me," she said as she picked up her phone and began scrolling through her photos.

"First of all, this Joe 'guy' you speak of is spelled J-O, short for Joann. She is Jessie's new singing partner."

"Singing partner?" Laura shot me a frowning look.

"I resigned from the band while we were in Las Vegas," I explained, "Jo and I are going to be doing a two-piece combo from now on."