Chapter 1

Thanks to the hip and knee doctor for editing assistance.

There was no reason for the party, or at least none that I was aware. My wife’s sorority sisters had set it up, with Nadine’s help of course. Yes, it was a hold over from her college days. I usually referred to them as the DD’s or “double deltas.” Actually the first D, in my mind, stood for damn. My once perfect life was no longer perfect and I blamed it on the DD’s.

Nadine was busy talking with the guests and helping her two sisters. They always referred to themselves as sisters even though they weren’t related. The first hour was not too bad. I sat quietly and nursed a few cans of beer while I watched the boys. Nadine and I had twin sons, Bryce and Bryan, who were ten. They were old enough to take care of themselves, so my babysitting task was fairly easy.

Dawn and Carla were the damn deltas that screwed up my life. I didn’t hate them exactly, but I hated the effect that they had on Nadine. She was a perfect wife and companion until they showed up. Actually, they didn’t show up, they sought us out. Dawn and Carla had married two college boy-friends, who also happened to be frat boys. Although I attended the same school, I spent all of my time working two jobs to pay for my books and tuition. I envied the sorority and fraternity kids, but looking back, I was glad that I did it my way.

Nadine, of course, spent her sorority days dating the appropriate frat boys just like her sisters did. She had settled down to just one, Clayton Manning, who was a year older than her. Somehow or other, I ended up with Nadine after Clayton left for graduate school. She never talked about him and I never pried.

My first job as an engineer was in Waco, Texas. It was a small company that designed and built alternative power sources. At the time I started working there, it was mainly wind and solar power systems. Today it encompasses many more diversified options. Three years ago the owner, who also founded the company, decided to retire and selected me to take it over. I got to run the company with a promise to perpetually support him and his wife in retirement. It was a good deal for both parties.

Whenever something good happens, it is always balanced out with something bad. Well at least it seems that way. It all started about two years ago.

“John, I need a small favor.”

“Have I ever denied you anything?”

Nadine had a habit of acting cutesy when ever she wanted anything from me. Today was one of those days. She also had on a pair of Daisy Duke cut off shorts. They went well with the Texas summers and Nadine knew that I liked them on her. She looked a little like the TV star except she wasn’t quite as tall, and maybe a little bit chunkier, which I liked.

She squirmed a little on the sofa as I waited for her to make her request.

“John, I got a call from Dawn this morning.”

Already I knew that I didn’t like where this conversation was going.

I didn’t respond in any way to her opening.

“The Lockheed plant in Bakersfield closed down. Dennis is out of work and things are not looking too good.”

“I can understand that. The economy is pretty bad right now. He was into geothermal dynamics or something like that, right?”

“Yeah. It has been six months and he isn’t getting any responses to his resumes or internet inquires.”

“Are you asking me to give him a job?”

“Please, John. I would be ever so grateful. You won’t regret it. I promise.”

I didn’t need an engineer, but I did need someone with engineering experience or background to put together sales proposals.

Well needless to say, two months later, I ended up with Dennis Graver in my engineering department. However, it didn’t stop there; Gordon Hawkins had married Carla, another DD sister and was suffering from the same plant closing. I also had a new marketing representative.

Nadine was reconnected with two old DD friends, and I got stuck with, what turned out to be, two incompetent middle management dead beats.

Luckily, we were solvent enough to absorb the losses, at least for awhile. All of Dennis’s work had to be reviewed and rewritten by one of my junior tech assistants. The final product was usable, but it was not because of Dennis. Gordon knew how to glad hand and grand-stand, but could not close a deal if his life depended on it. He made two sales in two years. My legal department had the fore sight to have both of them sign employment contracts that were completely slanted to my side.

My relationship with Nadine gradually deteriorated as she spent more and more time with her ‘sisters.’ The upside was that I got to spend more time with my sons, which was okay with me.

I never enjoyed socializing with Dennis or Gordon. As far as I was concerned, they were preppy assholes that I had to tolerate for the sake of my wife. Unfortunately, it seemed that Nadine and I were spending more time with the group, than as a married couple. It was unpleasant, but endurable until today.

There were about thirty people at the gathering, and at least that many children. Most of them were people from work who were polite around me, but careful not to get too friendly for fear of being labeled a brown-nose. I was fine with that.

I noticed across the patio, that Dawn and Carla were trying to get Nadine’s attention. They were both smiling. Nadine carefully scanned the crowd, smiled, and then cautiously looked in my direction. I pretended not to notice her. A few moments later, my loving wife started working her way to the side yard. She was not just smiling, she was beaming. That was when I saw him.

I recognized Clayton Manning from some of the old photographs that Nadine had keep from college. He was tall and I have to admit, good looking. It was like watching one of those ridiculous ads on TV where the loving couple see each other across a country meadow and then rush to each-other’s arms. Of course they weren’t rushing, they were actually moving very slowly, so that they would not be noticed.

Dawn and Carla were grinning and chatting away as they watched the two old friends come together. I saw Dawn wave at Gordon who was in the barbeque area and a few seconds later Dennis and Gordon where at my side. It was so obvious that I almost punched both of them out. The DD’s had them distract me so that Clayton and Nadine could greet each other properly. I watched the two old friends disappear around the side of the house as Dennis pushed a fresh beer into my hand.

For the next ten minutes, the DDs and their husbands did everything that they could to occupy my attention. I finally excused myself to use the bathroom. They flustered around a little trying to keep me away from the house, but I insisted on bullying my way past them.

No, I did not catch my wife kissing or having sex with her old boyfriend. When I did discover them, they were just talking; that is until Nadine took out her cell phone and carefully entered his number as he recited it.

I did find the bathroom and I did take a leak, but rather than return to the party, I walked through the house and out the front door. There was a new pearl-colored Lexus with Arizona plates parked by the curb.

Ten minutes later, I was home. Barbarosa was playing on Showtime and I wouldn’t miss a Willie Nelson movie for anything.

I had a hard time concentrating on the movie. It didn’t matter because I had seen it six times before. It was all a set up. Nadine and her sisters’ as well their husbands had arranged the whole thing so that Nadine and Clayton could see each other again. I was the fool. I was the one who was kept in the dark from the start. If Nadine had told me that Clayton was going to be there, I might have reacted differently. There was a reason that she didn’t tell me. Hell, why did they even invite me. She could have easily met with him, without my ever knowing about it. I guess there is no fun in that.

There were four calls on my cell phone before the movie ended. I let them go to messages.

When my wife finally got home, she wasn’t speaking to me. I expected a tirade, but got nothing. The boys were dead tired and went straight to bed. I sat quietly with a beer, waiting.

After finishing my second beer I figured that Nadine was not going to be talking with me this evening. I knew then that I was going to have to make the call.