Major Mistake

Although I didn't bring it up, Maria must have felt some necessity to explain her marital status. She had been living with the boys father in Tucson and one day, he just disappeared. She stayed there for three years, but he never returned. Her brother was working in the Philadelphia area as a bricklayer and convinced her to move in with him and his family. Eventually, she got a place of her own and has been working ever since to make things better for the boys. She had never married.

Just I finished my tale of marital woe, the wine bottle was empty. Even though the conversational subjects sucked, I still enjoyed my time with Maria. We had stretched the evening out over several hours so the wine consumption was not a problem when it came time for me to drive home.

Things were pretty normal for several days, both at work and in my private life. Billy came to see me one evening with the information from the American Legion Post. We finished a few beers and tried to figure out what to do, now that we had all the background stuff. A few beers turned out to be a few too many, and Grace ended up coming over to pick up her drunken husband. I was late for work the next morning, but nobody complained, since I was the boss, and I was usually early.

Friday morning brought another unexpected surprise. Three of the company VP's showed up. They made a superficial walk through the store, but it all seemed a little on the phony side. Everything became much clearer when we broke for lunch.

Apparently, there was a severe shortage of supermarket managers, at least it seemed that way to me. Before the meal was over, I had been offered a position as a regional supervisor, in charge of six stores within a thirty mile radius. The salary and benefits that went with the position were more than I could have ever imagined. Of course I accepted.

My second in command at the present store was also pleasantly surprised when I handed the entire operation over to him. I left him with only one request; don't mess with Maria. He gave me a wink and I smile, indicating that we were on the same page.

Maria was naturally unhappy to see me leave the store, but pleased that I got the promotion. I took her out for a nice supper, which I guess you could say was our first real date. The boys were tickled to give us the night out together. It was also the first time that I got to see her dressed up and fixed up. She was a stunner. She seemed to take my promotion a little better when I told her that I would still be working and living in the immediate area. On the other hand, she was not pleased to hear that I had to go to Baltimore for two weeks of training.

I had Sunday lunch with Billy and Grace. We celebrated my good fortune and I tried my best not to drink. I planned to make the short drive to Maryland that evening so that I would be fresh for my first day of training. Billy wanted to know what I had planned to do about Cameron and Linda. I told him that it would have to wait until I finished and got settled in my new position.

Maria and I talked on the phone every day; sometimes twice. I felt like a teenager. She asked me all about the training and I made her tell me what was going on at her end. I always asked her about the boys. She seemed to appreciate the fact that I had shown interest in them.

My new job came with a bunch of responsibilities that I had not anticipated. Community involvement was important. I was expected to join as many civic and social organizations as possible, including the local country club. I smiled when I was informed that my position with the company would assure me acceptance just about anywhere that I applied. Life was good.

I went home the first weekend and saw Maria twice. I got my first kiss, but felt a little uncomfortable, since I was technically still married. She questioned my uncertainly about the kiss, and laughed a little at my explanation. She was teasing me a little and I think that she enjoyed it. I know I did.

The company rented a small office in one of the local business complexes, and had it fully set up, including a secretary. They had done this before and it showed. I was ready to start my full operation on the first day.

On my desk, among other things, was my application for full membership at the Liberty Keys Country Club. All I had to do was sign it and pick up my membership card. I decided that would be the first order of business.

I had on a new suit and was driving my new company car. Everything was great as I strutted into the club lobby, until I saw Linda. She was standing with a few other ladies, dressed in a cute little tennis outfit. I didn't even know that she played tennis. All of a sudden, the hurt and humiliation of what she had done to me came back. I lost my swagger and self-confidence just by seeing her. Without being obvious, I tried to walk past the group. It worked fine until I heard one of the ladies say, "Isn't that your husband who just walked in?"

I didn't turn. There was a little mumbling going on as I handed the attendant my application form. He disappeared into a back room as I stood waiting for something unpleasant to happen. I knew that it was coming. It would have been nice to have a clever quip prepared, but my mind was blank.

"George. What are you doing here. This is for members only, you know? You are not going to try and join again are you?"

I really wanted to embarrass her, in front of her new friends, but I could not bring myself to do it.

"Hello Linda. You are looking well. Nice outfit. Is it new? I didn't know that you played tennis?"

I was babbling. I wanted to be clever and witty, but it just wasn't there. The string of stupid statements was a good indication of how nervous I was. That in itself was embarrassing.

"I am taking lessons, George. I always wanted to play tennis, but we could never afford it."

All I could do was smile.

"You really shouldn't be here, George. This is very uncomfortable for me. It is 'members only' you know."

I was still smiling as the attendant returned to the counter.

"Here you are Mister Templeton. Your membership card, locker key, and a copy of the club rules and regulations. Welcome to Liberty Keys County Club, sir."

I nodded a silent 'thank you' to him and turned to walk away. Linda was standing there with a confused look on her face. I grinned and said nothing more as I walked back through the club lobby. I wanted to turn, as I walked out the door to see what she was doing, but resisted the urge. I smiled all the way back to the office.

I took Maria to the Red Lobster for supper that evening. I had no intention of gloating, but I got great pleasure in telling her about my meeting with Linda earlier. There was no wine with the meal, because my guest had to be at work by eleven. We had a few small giggles concerning that situation.

Maria promised to join me at the club for a late lunch Sunday, after she got off her shift. I found myself hoping that we would run into Cameron and Linda.

The rest of week went smoothly until Friday. Helen, my new secretary, who was by now, aware of my marital problems, was grinning as I walked into the office. On my desk was the local newspaper and on the front page was a picture of Cameron Wright, in hand cuffs, being placed into a plain black car.

Cameron had not realized that the American Legion Posts check on their applicants to insure that no undeserving veterans sneak in. He had indeed retired from the Air Force, however, it was as a Technical Sergeant, not a Major. The fact that he wore medals that had never been awarded to him was going to cause him more grief. They called it "Stolen Valor," and it was not taken lightly. I had a strange feeling that Cameron Wright was going to rapidly lose face in his own hometown.

Helen brought me a cup of coffee and told me that it was okay to smile. That did get her a grin.

About an hour later, I got a call from the realtor informing me that the house had been sold. Closing was scheduled in two weeks. Just when I thought things couldn't get any better, my final divorce papers arrived in the mail. Good old Cameron had pulled some strings with some of his new friends and got the paperwork pushed through quicker than normal. I didn't think they were friends anymore.

The day and the week were coming to a good end. Billy stopped by to see my new office, but what he really wanted, was to tell me that Linda had moved in with him and Grace. He hadn't been home yet, so the only information that he had was what he got over the phone when Grace called him. He wasn't happy about his new houseguest, but he was tickled pink at what happened. Billy didn't give me any resistance when I took him down to the local corner bar to celebrate, as long as I was buying.

I called Maria at home before she left for work and gave her the good news; all of it. I think that she was as elated as I was.

Billy came and got me out of bed Saturday. He was able to hold his liquor better than I was. We hit Shoney's for the breakfast buffet and some much needed coffee. As we ate, I got an update on my ex-wife's situation. Her car had been re-posessed. It seems that Cameron was more than willing to make the payments for Linda, but the checks were worthless. She never even knew it until they came and got it. Apparently, he took care of everything else the same way. I don't know how long he was expecting to get away with it, but he sure did snooker a lot of people before he got caught. Grace told Linda that she could stay for one week and one week only. Linda had no idea where she was going to go or what she was going to do. What little money she had when she left the marriage, seemed to have disappeared also.

Maria was fast asleep in bed by this time, but Arman and Martin were ready and willing to try out the Liberty Keys golf course. Maria was up when we got back to the house and gave us a good lecture about having fun without her. We ordered in pizza and got a pay-for-view movie. Yes, life was good.

Maria and I had a pleasant brunch at the county club Sunday morning. I was hoping to show her off in front of Linda and Cameron, but they never showed up. There were a few glances our way and I noticed a few comments being made, but overall things were great. It was the first of many brunches to come.

Linda moved out of Billy and Grace's house, before the end of the week, to a small furnished apartment. Grace and Linda kept in touch, but they were not as close as they had been, even though they were sisters.

Robert and Glenn came home for our wedding three months later. They gave me a good teasing about my having to go out and get two new guys to replace them. The four boys hit it off and that made Maria and I both happy. Robert and Glenn never mentioned Linda. I didn't purposely avoid speaking about her, but it just never seemed to come up. I don't know if they stopped to see her before they returned to school or not.

Billy was my best man, but he was more of a witness than anything else, since it was just a civil ceremony.

Maria stopped working before the wedding. I insisted that Arman and Martin also quit, so that they could concentrate on their studies. None of them complained. Although I didn't make any money on the sale of the old house, I was still able to buy a new one with no problem.

Two months after the wedding, Maria and I were Christmas shopping at Target when we saw Linda. She was working at the Customer Service counter in the front of the store, wearing the Target uniform; khaki pants and a red shirt. It looked as if she had lost weight. She looked up and noticed that Maria and I were looking her way. We watched as she turned and went into the office behind the counter.

It was not our intent to embarrass her. She had been through enough. Maria and I left the store and did our shopping elsewhere from then on.

Cameron Wright just disappeared. After he was arrested and charged, they just took him away and we never heard anything about him again.

Robert and Glenn came home for Christmas at the new house. The big holiday surprise came when Linda arrived. Maria had invited her without telling me. It was an awkward situation for a few moments. At first, I was annoyed, but then I realized that it was a very gracious and daring move on Maria's part. The confrontation was necessary for us all to have closure. I never forgave Linda for what she did, but just knowing that she was aware of what she lost made it better.