Chapter 3

Denise looked in on Sylvie while she was sleeping. Walking into the room, she brushed open the drapes, letting the sunshine flow over her uncovered body. Knowing that Sylvie would wake from the light, she turned and looked out onto the ocean. Sylvie spoke, "Good morning. God, I slept well. The sound of the ocean always does this to me."

Denise looked at Sylvie stretching. "You are just as beautiful as ever. I was surprised when you called and said you were at the airport. You haven't changed your mind about us, have you?"

"No, and I am sorry. I said when we graduated that anything we had or did together was over. Do you want me to leave?"

"Of course not. I'm glad to see you. I had to ask though. So tell me what's new in your life? How long are you staying?"

"How long am I staying? A month tops or until I find out if I'm pregnant." Sylvie sat with a smirk on her face.

"Okay, tell me about it. By the look on your face I can see something is going on."

Sylvie got serious. "You know, I told you Wake was running around on me with his secretary. Actually with more than one secretary. I thought if I told him he couldn't hire any single women to work in his office he would stop. With this last one he went too far.

"He got around that by finding a young woman about ready to marry and promised her all kinds of perks. He gave her a job and paid her enough so she could marry the man she had known and loved for years. That was in February and he started the affair immediately after. Two or three weeks ago he took her with him on a business trip to Florida, and the report I have said he screwed her brains out.

"While they were gone, I tipped the husband off. I found out what a nice guy he is. What Wake did to that couple is a crime so I'm going to get even."

"The husband is the one you are waiting to see if you are pregnant by?"

"Yes, but that is all he is ever going to be involved with me. I'm not screwing their life up anymore than it is and I may never see him again. I'm out to tie Wakefield up in knots, and that is only because of Daddy.

"Wakefield did save my father's business and he is good at what he does. I can't kick him out for that reason. But boy, is Wake in for a surprise. Getting back to this latest secretary, she quit when her husband found out she was cheating, which leaves Wake without a secretary. Shortly after I find out I'm pregnant, he is going to have a new one working for him and it is going to be me."

"What if you are pregnant? Won't that complicate matters?"

"For Wake maybe, but not for me. I'm out here in California setting up the idea that I got drunk and took on a biker club and accidentally got pregnant. I'm going to ram that down his throat. He loves his job so much he will keep me and as I will be with him all the time as his secretary, he won't have a chance to stray."

"What about the man that really made you pregnant?"

"His name is Jim, and he loves his wife so much, he will take her back and bind her to him by working in the same place, just as I am doing with Wake. Of course this may not all work out for me, but if it doesn't we are still no worse off than we are now. And I have made myself a promise I won't ever interfere in Jim's life at all even if I find I'm pregnant by him. Some day when the child is an adult I might just let him know, but not before then."

"I'm glad I don't have any men in my life. They complicate a woman's life too much."

"Denise, be honest now, have you ever tried a man? Haven't you ever wondered?"

"I suppose so, but I freeze up when I get that close to one."

"Well, I'm here for a month. Maybe something will develop when your fear of the male species goes away." -- Cindy drove Jim east for the hearing that was scheduled Thursday morning. They arrived in time for breakfast at Jim's parents. He knew his mother would be more than a little curious about the niece she never knew she had. Jim left Cindy with her while he conferred with his lawyer outside the courthouse. The lawyer asked if Jim had been in touch with Bobbi and he said he had.

Jim asked what would happen if he decided to withdraw the lawsuit. "There will be some court costs and of course my fee. Are you leaning toward withdrawing? If you are, now is the time to do it. Of course you can reinstate it at any time. I can also ask for a postponement to give you more time to resolve this issue with your wife. What about your pre-nuptial agreement? That is really what is standing in the way of suing for a divorce. My advice would be to have that stricken."

"I'll ask Bobbi. She is the one that talked me into it, playing on my fear of losing her. That's behind me now and it won't do her or me any good because we don't have anything. She hurt me and I am hurting her. Best to forget that and see if we can start anew."

"Okay. She should be along, soon. Maybe we can see what she wants before we go into the hearing. Maybe she still wants the separation. I'm surprised she doesn't have an attorney. It may not seem it, but this is serious business."

Immediately after saying this, Bobbi came slowly down the hall. Seeing Jim, she came up to him. "Hi Jim, it is good to see you. Are you going through with this? I wish you wouldn't. I want you home. I want to be with you." She started to cry.

"Bobbi, this is my attorney. I am trying to decide what I really want. The problem is I don't know what to do. He suggested a postponement. Would you be okay with that? It is my decision, but I need to know more about how you feel. Another thing, he thinks the pre-nup is unfair to both of us and might be holding us back from moving forward, if you can understand that."

"Young lady, you should have an attorney to represent you. I know I am Jim's attorney and I am going to win whatever I can for him. But someone should be speaking up for you as well. I really would suggest a postponement."

"Okay, maybe Daddy will lend me some money."

"Jim's lawyer searched his wallet and handed Bobbi a card. "Here is the name of one that might help you. He might not charge you much."

Bobbi took the card and said, "Thank you."

"Okay, you two can stay here. I'll go in and get the postponement." There were chairs along the hall and Jim led Bobbi to one and sat down beside her.

"Bobbi, are you eating? You look awfully thin. You look sick too. Are you okay?"

"I'm okay. I just can't sleep. I need you beside me. Please, Jim, can't you come home? I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"I want to, but I can't get over what you did to me. I try, and then I remember what was said on the cassette tape and I almost hate you. Why did you do this to me?"

"I don't know. It just seemed that I could have everything I wanted, a husband, a good job and an exciting life all at the same time. I didn't think about the cost."

"And you didn't think enough of me, did you?"

Bobbi shook her head. "I didn't, but I wish so much I had. Jim, I'm sorry for all the pain I have caused you. Please forgive me." This was the first time Bobbi had uttered the words, "I'm sorry." This got through to Jim as nothing else had before.

The lawyer returned and said Jim and Bobbi Boyd had a month before another hearing was scheduled. He shook Jim's hand, said he would be in touch and hurried away.

"Jim, where are you staying tonight? Will you stay with me at home?"

"I have Cindy with me. She needs a place to stay too. Would you invite her?"

Reluctantly, Bobbi agreed. She wanted Jim to herself, but would settle for just having him in the same house with her. Besides she needed to see this mysterious cousin. Before Bobbi and Jim parted, he said, "Mom is having supper tonight. I'm sure she won't mind if you come and eat with us. Bring your father. He is invited too. No talking about our problems though. That is just between you and me. Okay?"

Cindy met Jim at the door when he got to his mother's. "How did it go?"

"Okay. We postponed it. We have another hearing in a month. I should know what I want by then. I know what Bobbi wants already, I just have to decide what I want."

"Don't forget Sylvie was involved a little in all of this too, you know."

This let Jim know that she knew he and Sylvie had slept together, so he wasn't entirely innocent himself. Cindy asked to lie down in the afternoon. His mother still did not suspect that Cindy had only one eye with sight. Concerned that it didn't always track when tired, she didn't want it to be a problem during the dinner tonight.

Jim's mom wondered if he and his guest were staying overnight and he said no, he was going home to sleep. This brought smiles of approval from everyone. His Mom gave him an extra warm hug when they left, and Bobbi's father shook his hand longer than was necessary.

Bobbi broke out a bottle of wine that Jim had bought at one time. Jim said to Cindy, "You got through the evening with no problem. Maybe you should take a short nap in the office every afternoon."

From across the room, a curious Bobbi asked, "Are you ill?"

"Not really. I have a glass eye and when I get tired it doesn't track with the other one. The first time Jim saw it he was so nice about it, but it did make him uncomfortable. Since then it doesn't seem to bother him at all. Jim is one of the finest people I know. I'm proud to call him my friend. I've only known him a short time. Sometime I will tell you what he did to turn my life from being only tolerable to one where I wake up singing every morning. Bobbi, may I take a shower. Jim and I have to leave very early to be at work. I open the office at nine, and it is a two hour drive."

After Bobbi showed Cindy where her room and the bathroom were, she came back and sat next to Jim. He had some things to discuss. "You know I'm not planning on living here in this city again don't you? This house is way too much for us to own without me living in it. I think we should sell it. If things work out between us, I will want you with me. If not, I don't think you can afford it on your own, even if I give you half the value of the equity we have in it. We may even have to take a loss on it."

"I was going to ask about that. I'll put it on the market and move in with Dad. He was disappointed I only stayed with him the few days before I moved back here. I had to do that. I wanted you to come home and I wanted to be here when you did. If you took me back, which I am hoping for with all my heart, where would I stay?"

"With Cindy, maybe. She has finished her shower, go ask her."

Jim was being mean. Cindy and he had discussed when Bobbi should learn that she had a disfigurement. Jim just said that a chance would present itself. This was it.

It was nearly an hour later when Bobbi came into the living room where I was still sitting. "Jim, I'm sorry. She said she had scars and she could cover them up. She said you had open wounds in your heart, and they were caused by me. Hopefully they would heal someday and become only scars. Only then could you get on with your life and be happy. Jim, I want to help heal the wounds that I have caused. Please let me back into your life so I can start the healing."

Tears were running down her face and Jim wanted to hold her. He brought her around and looked into her eyes. "Bobbi, soon I promise. I can't give you more tonight. I'm still feeling too raw over everything. I will leave my address and phone number with you and we can talk and keep in touch over the next few weeks. When I'm ready and can handle it, I'll ask you to come and visit me. You go up to bed. I'm going to curl up on the couch. Would that be okay?"

"I guess so, but that isn't what I want. At least we are in the same house together once again. Jim, I love you. Please, please, take me back into your heart."