Chapter 1

It was a Friday night in mid-June and I was sitting at gate 56 in Terminal 5 at Los Angeles International Airport trying to get some work done as I waited for flight 1426 to Atlanta. The flight had already been delayed three hours when I happened to look up at the departures screen just in time to see the status of my flight change from delayed to canceled.

"Shit!"

Apparently there was a large system of thunderstorms passing through the midsection of the country delaying flights in and out of Dallas and St. Louis. This had the effect of backing up flight departures all over the country and caused several flights out of Los Angeles to be cancelled that night, leaving many passengers stranded at LAX.

It was 7:10 PM and I had already been at the airport since two o'clock that afternoon and I had no idea when I would be getting out of LA. They had not made the public announcement that the flight had been canceled yet so I jumped up and moved quickly over to the Delta check in counter. I arrived just as the gate agent picked up the microphone to make the announcement.

"Delta Flight 1426 to Atlanta has been cancelled. If you are holding a ticket for this flight please see the agent at gate 56 for reassignment."

Thanks to my good timing I was first in line. After ten minutes of the agent banging away on her keyboard, I was given a seat on the next available flight to Atlanta. The good news was that the seat was in first class. The bad news was that the flight wasn't leaving until 11:55 PM. I was going to have to wait almost 5 more hours. I went back to my uncomfortable seat and fired up my laptop again.

I had been working for about an hour and was just about finished updating my project plan when I heard someone say my name.

"Jim Patterson?"

The question made me look up from my laptop. I didn't know anyone in LA so I certainly wasn't expecting to run into anyone I knew at the airport that night. The man standing in front of me was tall and thin and had light brown hair. Although I hadn't seen him since graduating from high school twelve years earlier, it took me only a few seconds to recognize him.

"Kevin?"

"I'm surprised you remembered me," Kevin said.

"How could I forget my best friend?" I replied.

Kevin Murray and I grew up in Cortland, New York and had known each other since kindergarten but we hadn't seen or spoken to each other since we got out of high school.

"Best friend? If I was your best friend why haven't I heard from you in the last twelve years?" he asked.

"That works both ways," I said. "I lost track of you when you joined the army right after high school. But you never tried to get in touch with me either."

"Pretty stupid, huh?" Kevin said. "Where you headed?"

"Atlanta. What about you?"

"I'm on the red eye to New York. Have you got time for a drink before your flight?" Kevin asked.

"Actually I have a few hours to kill. A couple of beers would help pass the time"

Kevin laughed and said, "Let me guess: your flight was delayed. Right?"

"Cancelled. What about you?"

"I am on the red eye at 12:05. That gives us some time to catch up."

I shut down my laptop and put it in my briefcase and then we headed off to find a bar. There weren't many places to go without leaving the Terminal 5, which would mean having to go through security again when we returned so we opted to join the crowd at Malibu Al's.

"So where are you living now?" Kevin asked as the bartender delivered our beers."

"Atlanta."

"How did you end up in Atlanta?" Kevin asked.

"My job."

"You like it down there?"

"Yes, very much. Especially in the winter," I said.

"You married?" he asked. "I remember that you always used to say you never would."

"Been married seven years," I said. "What about you?"

"Me? Divorced. No kids, but I met someone recently and I think we might be headed to the altar," Kevin answered.

"Another sacrifice to the marriage gods."

"Wow. Is that a condemnation of marriage?"

I smiled and said, "No, just a little joke. Kate and I have a great marriage."

"Does your wife know that your flight was canceled?"

"No. I wasn't due to get home until late tomorrow afternoon. I finished my work early and thought I'd try to get home earlier. Kate didn't know that so there is no need to tell her my flight was canceled."

"Have you been back to Cortland lately," Kevin asked.

"I haven't been back there in about three years. Kate and I are planning on going up there next month. Have you been back?"

"I was there last year."

"You stay with your parents?" I asked.

"No. They sold their house and moved into a small apartment. I stayed at the Holiday Inn out near the route 81 interchange."

"Why didn't you stay at the Hampton Inn?" I asked. "It's a lot newer."

"The Hampton Inn doesn't have a bar, the Holiday Inn does," Kevin responded.

"Ah, good point. So how are your parents?"

"They're great. My father has some back problems but still manages to play golf. My mom has some arthritis but she keeps busy. What about your parents?"

"They're doing good. Still in the old house," I said. "Did you run into any of our old friends while you were there?"

"Yeah, I had a few beers with Bob Harold. I didn't see anyone else from the old gang." Kevin said. "So, what are you doing in LA?"

"The company I work for is involved in a large city wide project out here and I am one of the project managers," I said. "We're managing the installation of a fiber optic communication system to all Los Angeles county government buildings and schools. My company makes the control boxes for the network."

"How long have you been out here?"

"This trip? Three weeks. I am going home for two weeks and then it's back out here for another three weeks," I said. "It's an eleven-month project and it's scheduled to wrap up in November. I've been working three weeks here and then two at home since the project began."

"Bet you wife loves that," Kevin said.

"No, Kate hates it but she tolerates it. When the project manager job was offered to me it was with the understanding that I would do this for four years and then I would be promoted to a management position and wouldn't have to travel much after that. Kate and I talked it over and even though we knew it would be hard on us we decided I should take the job. I got her to agree by promising that as soon as I finished the four years I would take a month off and we would go to Europe and while there get busy making a baby."

"Ah, the old we'll start a family ploy," Kevin said.

"It worked. One bonus is all of the travel awards I have earned over the last three and a half years. I have enough Marriott and Hilton points for our whole trip to Europe with enough left over for a trip to Hawaii. Same with airline frequent flyer miles. Just another six months and I'll be done with all this travel."

"That's cool. Wish I could get a job like that," Kevin said.

'Careful what you wish for," I said.

"I almost forgot," Kevin said. "Remember Kyle Porter from high school?"

"Yeah, I didn't know him well but I remember him. He was a year behind us," I said.

"I saw him at the Holiday Inn."

"Did you talk to him?"

"Nah, he was occupied at the time. I don't think he wanted to be disturbed and I didn't really want to talk to him anyway. I always thought he was kind of an asshole," Kevin said.

"Yeah, me too, ' I said. "I think he married Barb Ritz. You remember her?"

"I remember her. Short, blond, big tits," Kevin said. "I don't know if they're still married or not but he wasn't with Barb that night."

"You think he was cheating on his wife?" I said.

"Could be," Kevin said. "That is if he is still married to her. Oh, shit, I just remembered her name."

"Who's name?"

"The girl I saw," Kevin said. "I got a good look at her that night and I was sure that I knew her but I couldn't remember her name. Do you remember Margie Cooper? She was a year behind us in school."

"Yes, as a matter of fact..." I started to say.

"It came to me just now. I think Kyle dated Margie in high school, didn't he?"

"I think so, why?" I asked.

"Margie was the girl I saw with Kyle that night," Kevin said.

"You saw Margie Cooper with Kyle at the Holiday Inn? Are you sure it was Margie?"

"It was Margie, I am sure of that. I got a good look at her. I was sure that I knew her but I just couldn't remember her name at the time," Kevin said.

"She's married. Are you're sure it was her?" I said.

"Absolutely. I don't think she's married though or at least not anymore. She wasn't wearing a wedding ring when I saw her," Kevin said.

"Are you sure they were together? I mean maybe they just ran into each other there and were just talking. I mean could they have just been friends?" I said.

"If they were just friends, they were friends with benefits. They were making out in a booth in the bar when I first saw them. Then later I saw them getting on an elevator. The only place they could have been going was up to the guest rooms," Kevin answered.

I said, "That's interesting."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I guess because I am positive that she's married."

"She could be married. Maybe she is married to Kyle and just happened to not be wearing her wedding ring when I saw her," Kevin said and then laughed. "Or maybe she was sneaking around behind her husband's back. The two of them certainly weren't acting like an old married couple. Why does Margie being with Kyle bother you so much?"

"I guess it's because I would never have thought that Margie would cheat on her husband. When was that?" I said.

"Last year. Second week of August," Kevin said.

"So, tell me about this woman that has captured your heart," I said.

Kevin pulled a picture out of his wallet. "This is Barb," he said. It was a typical wallet photo of an attractive blonde with blue eyes.

Kevin went on to tell me how they met and that they were living together and were talking about getting married but hadn't decided on a date yet.

"When we set the date would you and Kate come to the wedding?" Kevin asked.

"If at all possible I'll be there," I said.

"Have you got any pictures of your wife?" Kevin asked.

I started to reach for my wallet but stopped. "I don't have any with me. They're in my checked baggage," I said.

Kevin and I sat talking until 11:15 and then we headed for our respective gates.

When I got back to my gate I looked at the monitor to check my flight status. According to the monitor it was still scheduled to leave at 11:55. I sat for a few minutes thinking about my conversation with Kevin and I pulled out my wallet and looked at Kate's picture. After a minute I took a deep breath and headed over to the gate agent.

"I am scheduled on the 11:55 Flight to Atlanta," I said as I handed her my ticket."

"She looked at the ticket and said, "You're all set Mr. Patterson."

"You don't understand. I need to cancel this reservation. Is there anyway to get my luggage back?" I said.

The agent looked a little confused.

"I just found out that I have an emergency here and I have to stay for a while longer, so I need to get my luggage back."

The agent started banging away on her keyboard again and then looked at my luggage claim tags and then began her keyboard marathon again.

"When would you like to reschedule you flight home?"

"Can I keep it open? I don't know when I will be going back."

"No problem. Do you know where you will be staying?"

"I am going to the Marriott on Figueroa. Why?"

"It will take us a while to locate your baggage. We can have it delivered to the hotel for you if you'd like."

The agent handed me my ticket receipt and baggage claim checks. "Just call our 800 number to reschedule you flight when you are ready."

I thanked her and headed out of the airport.

At that time of night I had to wait a while for the Hertz bus to come around so I could pick up a rental car. Shortly after 1:30 AM, I checked into my room at the Marriott.

I was finally alone, sitting on the side of the bed holding my head in my hands as I thought back ten months to the previous August. All of my traveling was taking a toll on my marriage. Kate seldom complained about it but I know it was hard on her.

Last May she got me to promise that we would take some vacation time during the summer as we hadn't had a real vacation in more than three years. I scheduled a week beginning the second week of August. The plan was to drive down to the Florida Keys and spend the week sitting on the beach during the day and making love at night.

With all my traveling Kate was getting frustrated. It seemed that every time we tried to plan something some new project would start and I would have to go back on the road. In addition to not having had a vacation in three years, I had missed her birthday twice and one anniversary because of my travel.

A few days before our scheduled August vacation my boss called me and said we had a major problem with a scheduled installation at one of our biggest customers in Seattle. He said he needed me to fly out to Seattle on Sunday and manage the installation and make sure that the customer was satisfied before I came home. He said I was the only project manager available at the time.

At first Kate accepted it without comment. I could see how disappointed she was but she knew these things happened so she was trying to be a good sport about it.

"How long will you be gone?" Kate asked.

"I don't know, maybe a week," I said.

"Any chance we can go the following week?"

"I don't know," I said. "I am not sure how long this project will take and you'll be back in school in a couple of weeks. We may have to wait and do this next year."

That was the last straw. "Wait till next year? What the hell kind of marriage do we have? We haven't had a vacation in over three years and now you're telling me we have to wait another year. Why don't you have the balls to stand up to Jack and just tell him that you have a vacation scheduled and you can't go to Seattle?"

Kate seldom blew up like that and when she did it was always over very quickly. In a few minutes she calmed down, apologized for her outburst and seemed to accept the situation but I could tell she was still very unhappy.

The next evening, while we were watching television, I told Kate that I was really sorry about having to cancel our vacation but I had an idea that might make her feel better.

Kate's eyes lit up and she smiled at me. "What's your idea?"

"I think that you should go up Cortland and visit with your parents while I'm in Seattle," I said.

"That's supposed to make me feel better?' Kate said. "I love my parents but you know how my mother is. She'll drive me crazy if I have to spend a whole week with her."

"Maybe you can get together with some of your old friends while you're there," I said.

"I don't know. I'll have to think about that," Kate said. "I'm going to bed."

Kate didn't look happy and I wasn't sure if it was because she was still angry about canceling the vacation or if she just didn't want to go to Cortland without me.

The next evening Kate said, "I think I might do what you suggested. I'll go up to see my parents while you go take care of your business. But you are going to owe me big time for this."

I promised I would make it up to her when I got home. That night I booked Kate on a flight to Syracuse and reserved a Hertz car for her so she could drive down to Cortland.

When I drove Kate to the airport that Saturday morning I could see that she was still unhappy but I didn't see that I could do anything about it. I left for Seattle the next day and I called Kate when I got to my hotel that afternoon. Kate sounded like things were better and we talked for a half hour. I reminded her that I only had a year of project management left before I would get a management assignment and wouldn't have to travel so much. I also reminded her about our plans to go to Europe for a month.

"Don't make promises you can't keep," was Kate's reply. I'll believe all that when it happens."

I wasn't sure if she was angry or if she just no longer trusted me to deliver on my promises. I knew it would do no good to make any more promises.

We talked again on Monday night and I sensed Kate wasn't in a very good mood.

"I hate being here without you," Kate said. "My mother is driving me crazy. She thinks she has to be talking to me every minute we're together. It doesn't help that she thinks she has to tell me that you should have told your boss to go to hell and taken me to the Keys instead of running off to Seattle."

"You know I didn't have a choice," I said in my own defense.

"I know that you believe that," Kate said.

I had let Kate down and I felt sick when the call ended. Maybe I should have told Jack I couldn't go to Seattle. I didn't sleep well that night.

When I called Kate on Tuesday, her mom answered the phone and said that Kate had gone out to see some friends. I tried her cell phone but got no answer.

Kate called me back at 11:00 PM my time. It was 2:00 AM for Kate.

"Sorry I missed your call tonight. I went out to see some old friends."

I asked her whom she had been with and she named about five of her old high school girl friends. Then we just talked for a while. Kate sounded better on that call. I guess getting out of the house and away from her mother helped her.

Wednesday night Kate answered her cell phone on the first ring. I could tell that Kate was upset about something.

"What wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing."

"I can tell that you are upset about something. Tell me about it."

"I should be on the beach in Key West, not here listening to my mother telling me that I have an inconsiderate husband."

"Is that what you think I am?" I said.

Kate was silent for a moment and then said, "It's what mother keeps telling me."

"Kate, I am sorry about the trip but I will make it up to you."

"I know," she said. "I am kind of tired. I think I'll go to bed now."

The call left me unable to sleep. Why was her mother trying to cause problems? I had always gotten along well with her before. I began to feel as though there was something more going on that Kate wasn't telling me.

When I called on Thursday, I got no answer so I tried the home number. Kate's mom answered and told me that Kate had gone out with her friends again.

It surprised me a little that Kate would be going out again but I guess she needed to get away from her mother for a while and I was glad that she was able to have some fun. It made me feel less guilty about having to cancel our vacation plans and would make things easier on me when I got back home.

I didn't hear from Kate again until Saturday. I could tell that she must really be missing me because she told me three times how much she loved me. She always told me she loved me when we talked on the phone but this was different. She sounded almost desperate to make sure I understood how much she loved me.

Kate flew back to Atlanta on Sunday and I returned home on Tuesday. Kate didn't say much that evening but when we went to bed she was all over me. She was kissing me and helping me out of my clothes and when she wasn't kissing me she was telling me she loved me and how much she had missed me. She kept apologizing for the way she behaved when I told her I was going to have to cancel our vacation. I didn't know everything that had happened in Cortland but whatever it was, Kate seemed to have renewed her love for me while she was there.