Chapter 10

Jude was hung over severely the next day and had little memory of the night’s events. I didn’t mention anything about her calling me Marcel or her behavior with him at the part. I also didn’t ask her about her invitation to become a yoga instructor and manage the studio. I would wait to see when and if she brought it up.

Things were a little different over the next couple of weeks, almost like old times. Jude was home a lot more. Several of her classes were canceled, and the Yogi had little time to spend with her. Maybe, I had been successful in scaring him away, and if I were lucky, things would get back to normal. I didn’t push it and gave Jude some space to work things out on her own.

Unfortunately, she seemed moody and temperamental, often snapping at me. When she wasn’t angry, she was distant. Midway into the second week, I thought things had gone on long enough. I had made a decision about our future, and on Thursday, I felt it was time to talk to her. I called Jude and let her know I wanted to spend the evening together. To my surprise, she agreed right away without any pushback.

When I got home that evening, Jude was in the kitchen, dishing out bowls of homemade chili.

“Hi honey,” she called as I walked into the kitchen. “I figured we’d eat right away so we’d have all evening for whatever comes up.” She winked at me as she said it. “So, what’s going on?” she asked. “What did you want to talk about?”

Before I could answer her question, she interrupted me, “Because, I have some news too that I want to celebrate with you. Can you grab us a couple of beers?”

I wasn’t expecting her to have “news,” so I was a little surprised. I had planned to do most of the talking that night. My goal was to finally put this Marcel issue behind us and move on with our lives. The fact that she had something to celebrate sent a chill down my spine. I had a bad feeling about whatever it was.

“Sure,” I said and retrieved two longnecks from the refrigerator, popping them open and handing her one. “Here you go.” I took the initiative and answered her query.

“As you know, this case I’m working on has been kicking my ass,” I told her, taking a sip of the beer. “I feel like the black guy in Lethal Weapon. I’m getting too old for this shit. I’m tired, Jude, tired of the stress, tired of never being home with you. I miss our life the way it was. I want out.”

Jude was staring at me with a mixture of concern and curiosity. “What do you mean out? Out of what?”

“I put in for a transfer to a job as an instructor at the police academy,” I explained. “At the end of the month, my days solving crimes are done. I want to take some time off and get away from here for a couple of weeks so that we can reconnect. It’s long overdue, but I hope we can rekindle our relationship and remember why we fell in love in the first place.”

She stared at me for several seconds without reacting. “So, what does that mean, exactly?” she asked.

“It means I’ll have a regular 9-to-5 job. No more late nights. No more weekends. I’ll be able to spend more time with you and make up for all the years I neglected you, neglected us.”

She nodded. I am a great judge of people and can usually read their reactions very well. It comes with the job. However, I was having a hard time telling what she was thinking.

“You don’t look happy,” I said.

She reacted to my words by forcing on what appeared to be a fake smile. “No! No, of course, I’m happy,” she said quickly. “I’m just shocked. Being a detective was everything you ever wanted. I’m surprised you would give it up.”

“I’m giving it up for us,” I said. “You’re more important to me than any job, anything, or any person.” I stressed the last part, trying to send a subliminal message.

She looked down, nervously, and seemed deep in thought for a moment. When she didn’t speak, I prompted her.

“So, what’s your big news?” I asked, dreading what she would tell me.

“Oh, it’s really nothing,” she said quietly, shaking her head. “We can talk about it another time. Let’s eat.” I could tell she was trying to change the subject, but I was having none of that. We needed to communicate, not avoid it.

“No, no,” I told her, giving her a smile, “I want to hear it. If it is worth celebrating, it must be good news. So, come on, spit it out.”

“Ok,” she replied. “It’s really nothing as dramatic as your news.” She hesitated, took a big swig of her beer, then continued, “Marcel has asked me to become certified as a yoga instructor so that I can teach classes at the studio and become his assistant manager. It would be a paying job. I know you think it’s probably silly, but it means a lot to me, and I’d really like to do it.”

“Cool,” I said, then added, “I’m proud of you. I’m sure you’ll be great at it.”

So Jude finally got around to telling me what Slick had revealed to me at our party. It had taken her long enough. I was hoping that maybe he had rescinded the offer. I’d been thinking about this topic since the night Marcel told me about it. I realized that balking at the idea or trying to dissuade her could only alienate her more. The last thing she would expect was for me to be supportive.

She seemed perplexed. “You’re ok with it?” she asked. “I kind of got the impression that you wouldn’t be happy about me doing it. It means I have to spend more time with Marcel and less time home.”

“I know,” I told her.

“And you’re ok with that?”

“I am,” I lied, “I trust you.”

She jumped up and climbed into my lap kissing me all over my face. “I love you, Bill,” she said. That’s when she completely blew my mind and left me dazed and confused.

“So, then you’ll be ok with me taking the certification course? It’s a little expensive, five-thousand dollars.” She looked like a little girl asking her Daddy for a pony.

I choked, “Five grand? For a class?”

“It’s two-weeks long,” she explained.

“Yeah, but still, that’s twenty-five-hundred bucks a week!”

“Yes, but it’s during a retreat at a resort in Costa Rica,” she elaborated.

“Woah,” I said, waving my hands, putting the brakes on the conversation.

“Two-weeks in Costa Rica?” I asked, flabbergasted.

“Yes, two weeks of intensive training and classes all day, every day. At the end of the retreat, I’ll be fully certified by the International Institute of Yoga Studies and can teach accredited classes. In the yoga community, Bill, this is a big deal. There’s usually a two-year-long waiting list to attend, but Marcel was able to pull some strings with some of his connections to get us in.”

Alarms were going off in my head. I was dumbfounded and had no real response.

“When is it?” I asked. “I just told you I can’t go until at least next month.” I was struggling to put the pieces together. “I’m tied up with this case until I start my new job.”

“Oh, that’s fine, honey,” she said, “It would just be me going, on my own. I didn’t mean that you would go with me.”

“But you said ‘us,’” I explained to her. “You said Marcel got ‘us’ in.”

“Oh, yes,” Jude said, staring at her hands, blushing, “I meant us as in Marcel and me.” She glanced up, then back down, either unable or unwilling to look in my eyes.

“Wait, wait, wait,” I spit out, trying to remain calm. “You’re planning to go to a resort in Costa Rica with Marcel? Alone? For two weeks?” I asked in shock.

“Well, yes,” she said nervously. “Marcel is my mentor and sponsor and needs to be there to support me.”

“Can’t I go with you and support you?”

“Well, no, it’s just for yoga people,” she explained. “You would be bored out of your mind.”

I took a sip of my beer. I guess I hadn’t scared Slick enough, after all.