Chapter 3

I went to bed with a massive headache and finally fell asleep around six. I woke up around ten, and since I hadn't eaten anything since Friday I decided that was time to get some real food. I got some toast and orange juice, sat at the kitchen table, and wondered what would happen to me.

I had never betrayed my wife, although I had some opportunities while I was away in the past, but nothing happened because I loved my wife. Looking back now, all I could think was, "Sucker". With a capital S.

Should I quit my job and start somewhere else? No, I like my job. Lots of travel, see different places, meet lots of different people, and good money. Although being away a lot is probably what got me into this mess.

Would I divorce Anna? Hell yeah! I can never trust her again, and she's having some loser's kid. That fucking looser made my wife pregnant. And I'm a bigger looser in the end. Fuck!

My mom called and said she wanted to have lunch with me. I said OK, so I got in the car and went to see my parents. I told them the whole story. My mother said I could spend the night if I wanted, any night.

I decided, after talking with my parents, to go for a drive. I figured we could sell the house and split the money in half. With that, I could probably buy a small apartment in NY, near the office.

I was driving along, and when I looked up I saw a sign saying "Atlantic City 25 miles". Fuck, I thought, "How long have I been on the road?"

I turned around to go back home, and a bit later I had to stop for gas. I pulled over at a station, and at the next pump sat the mother of all RVs. "That's bigger than my house," I thought, "I could put some wheels in my house and still be smaller."

That was when I had this brilliant idea, or maybe not. I had to talk to my boss first, but I didn't think he would mind. I should buy an RV and go from job to job. I wasn't needed in the office that much, I could drive around the country doing the jobs, and if it was necessary, I would just fly back to New York. The time we spend in the office is more so that we can be home with family. But now I didn't have a family, so I could be on the road all the time. My boss is going to love me.

I was paying the gas when the RV owner came up behind me. I asked him if could talk to him just for a minute.

"Could I ask you something?" I said.

"Sure." He was about late 50's, short but well built.

"I'm thinkingof buying an RV, but I don't have a lot of experience in the things. Could you give some ideas about it?"

He paid the gas and we walked outside.

"Come inside and I'll give you a tour."

"Ok." I said.

"This is the top of the line, but they start a lot smaller."

"Yeah, the RV is just for me, and for that, this one is way to big."

He showed me around inside, gave me a few pointers about the best options you could have, and gave me some contacts of dealers in the area. He was from upstate New York.

We said our goodbyes, and I went home. I was getting really excited about doing this.

When I got home, I fixed something to eat and realized my cell phone was off. I hadn't turned it on since I arrived in NY. When I turned it on, I had about 50 messages, two from the office, and the rest from the my soon to be ex-wife. I didn't worry about my wife's messages, and the office's were just about a meeting on Monday.

I had nothing else to do, and didn't want to worry to much about my life, so I decided to go online and check some RV sites. There was a lot of choice, and at some sites they could built your own customized vehicle. You can have a Jacuzzi. Man, I didn't even have one in the house, but then that one costs more than a house. After I get this mess resolved, I'm definitely geting one of these, I thought.

It was around 8 when my cell phone started ringing. It was her.

"Yeah, what do you want?" I said.

"I want to talk."

"I'm really tired. I had a really bad weekend, and I've got to get up early tomorrow, so we'll talk another time."

"Please."

I didn't said anything for a while.

"Please" she said again.

"OK, but make it quick."

"I'm outside."

"You're here?" I said surprised.

"Yes. Can you open the door?"

"Maybe." I hung up and went to open the door, not feeling very good about it.

When I opened the door she just stood there. She looked like shit. Red and puffy eyes, the hair was all over the place, and she looked like she had slept in her clothes.

"Well, you're here. You wanted to talk so talk." I said.

She just stood there crying started saying, "Forgive me", over and over.

"OK, just shut up." I said.

She quieted down a bit.

"I'll forgive you."

"Are you all right? I was thinking that you were mad at me."

"I'm really, really mad at you."

"And you forgive me?"

"Well it's done, it's done."

"And you forgive me?" she said again.

"That's all you wanted to talk about? I need to get some sleep, I'm really tired."

"Yeah..." she looked a bit confused.

"OK, my lawyer will contact you about the divorce papers."

"Divorce?..." she said, dumbfounded.

"Of course. You are not expecting to remain married, are you? After what you've done? I'm stupid, but not that stupid."

"But you said I was forgiven." She said, sobbing.

"Yeah, I forgive you, but I'm not going to be married to you anymore. You betrayed me. You used me."

"You were never home." She said crying.

"Then why didn't you tell me. I could have changed jobs, found something else to do."

"I ... I..." she just cried.

"Some time next week, I'll have the lawyer send you the divorce papers."

"But I don't want to get divorced." She whined.

"So you want to be married to me and keep fucking the other one?"

"I'll leave him. I wont see him anymore."

I was starting to lose my patience, and just growled.

"You better go to your mother's place before I do something really stupid."

Then I slammed the door in her face and went to bed. I still had to take a couple aspirins, because I still was a bit hung over. Finally I managed to sleep around eleven.

In the morning, I got ready, and left to catch the train. On the way to the station, I felt good. I'd been married for seven years, but lately I'd had this feeling that something was missing.

On the train I started to think about what my life will be without her, and realized that I would miss her, but the loss was not as big as I was expecting.

When I got into the office, I went to see my boss and asked him if we could talk.

He said after the morning meeting was ok. Then I went into my office and called my lawyer. I told him the situation. and asked him to get divorce papers ready as soon as possible.

"And the house?" he asked.

"I don't want the house. I want the money, because I already have some plans. From the house, I only want my DVDs and my clothes. She can keep the house or sell it. I want half the money. She can keep her car and half the money in the bank, There isn't that much, so we'll split it. See what she says. About the value of the house, I know a real estate agent, so I'll give him a call and see what he says."

"OK, I'll get the paperwork moving."

"Thanks. I'll let you know what the realtor says. Bye"

"OK, bye."

Then I called a realtor friend of mine from the school days.

"Hi Pete." I said.

"Mac. How's the Big Mac doing?"

"I'm fine. Sort of. I'm getting divorced."

"Divorced. Welcome to the club."

"I would prefer not to join, but that's life."

"Let me guess. She was fooling around."

"Yup!."

"And now you called me to learn how much the house is worth?"

"Right again."

"I'll have to go and see it for a final value, but we're talking somewhere around half a mil."

"Half a million?" I was speechless. I was thinking about $300k on a good day.

"Maybe more. I Need to see it for a definitive value, but from what I remember of the house, and the prices in that area, it should be somewhere near that."

"That's good money."

"Yeah, properties have gone up like crazy in the last few years."

"When can you go and see it?"

"Are you offering some beers?"

"Of course."

"I can go tonight if you want."

"I'll be home after 7."

"OK, see you then."

"Bye Pete."

I knew that properties were more expensive, but I wasn't counting on that kind of money. I looked at the time, and it was almost meeting time, so I grabbed my papers and went into the meeting room. The meeting was long and boring, but it didn't happen often, so we could take it. My boss said for me to stay after everybody left, so we could talk.

Everybody left the room, so I sat in a chair near him and explained my ideas.

I always called my boss George, because he didn't like us calling him Mr. or sir.

"George, I'm getting divorced. I'll be needing a few days off to arrange some things."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Mac."

"Shit happens."

"It sure does. You still have some vacation time, right?"

"I have two weeks."

"You can take them."

"Thank you. I have to finish the paperwork from Silicon Valley, and then I'll have some time off. But that wasn't exactly what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Ohh. Bigger problems?"

"Not really, it's an idea I had the other day, but I need your approval."

"Let's hear it."

"OK, I know that one of the reasons that we spend time in the office is so we can see our families."

"Yeah, to much time on the road is no good."

"Well, I want to change that for me."

"How?"

"I was thinking of buying an RV. Then I would go from job to job. If I was needed here, I would just fly back from where I was and stay just as long as necessary."

"So you would drive from job to job? And you would do that all year round?"

"Yeah, I'll be free from the wife and family, so I could stay on the road a long time."

"I like the idea."

"I thought you would."

"But I need to talk to my boss first. Being on the road longer you would like a raise?"

"Now that you mention it."

"I was joking."

"It wouldn't make me any harm."

"I know that. OK, I'll call my boss, and I'll get to you as soon as possible."

"Thanks, George, see you later."

"Bye, Mac."

I was feeling hungry so I went to a small dinner around the corner.

I was going through some reports from the last trip when George entered my office.

"Hi George."

"Hi Mac. I've spoken with my boss about your idea."

"And?"

"He likes it."

"Good."

"But you don't get a raise."

"That would've been too good."

"What he's offering is, we'll pay for fuel between the jobs and give you a certain amount of money every month for food. If you need to eat at restaurants while you're working, we'll pay, as usual."

At the moment, we would have lunch at the company canteen where we were working. If they didn't have a canteen, we would go somewhere, get a receipt, and get paid when we came back. Breakfast and dinner were usually at the hotel, and would go on the hotel bill. For transport, you could get a rent a car, or the company you're working for would pick you up and drop you off at the hotel.

"That looks like a good deal." I said.

"I think so too. Have you chosen an RV?"

"I've looked around the net. But there are so many types and extras you can have. There are also some other things you have to consider."

"Such as?"

"Well, at some places you can't park the RV for a long time, and even if they let you park there, you still have to empty the septic tank and you need water, so you have to stay in a nearby trailer park, or a camping park."

"Then you would have to take the RV back and forth to work everyday." He said.

"Not really."

"You leave it in the park and get a rental."

"No. Did you know you can get an RV with garage?"

"Garage? You're joking."

"No. I was thinking of getting a bike and just ride it as necessary."

"Well, you thought of everything."

"Almost. I need to look for the right extras, and it's really expensive."

"How much?"

"I'm thinking between $100k and $150k."

"Fuck, that's a lot."

"Yes, you can spend half a million easy, if you want."

"Half a million on a RV?"

"Yeah, but those are like semis. They're the top of the range, and I don't need something like that."

"OK, when you buy it let me know, because I want to see it."

"Well, you'll have to go down to Rahway, because I'm not coming to New York in one of those."

"OK. Just let me know."

"No problem."

"OK, see you later Mac."

"Bye George."

He left, and I was surprised how easy that was. In the end, I was working more for the same paycheck. But I liked it because it was a way of meeting new people, and I would get to travel around on my own. I finished the paperwork and went home. It was slower going than I thought, and I got home at 7:15. Peter was already there waiting for me.

"Hey Pete. Sorry I'm late. The trains where too busy."

"Hey Mac, no problem."

"Come in, I'll grab a couple of beers."

"That's a really good idea."

I grabbed a couple of beers from the fridge and went back to the living room.

"There you go, Pete."

"Thanks. So, you really want to sell the house?"

"Well, I don't mind if Anna keeps it. All I want is the cash. So she can keep the house and buy my half, or we can sell it and split the money."

"If you want, I can get you a really nice apartment."

"No, I don't need an apartment."

"Where are you going to live, then?"

"I'm going to buy an RV and drive through the country."

"Are you quitting your job?"

"Nope. You know I'm away all the time anyway, so I'll drive from job to job."

"Hmm. That's a great idea."

"I hope so."

"If you need a co-pilot let me know."

"Right." I chuckled.

"OK, let's see the house."

"OK."

He went around and looked, and I just followed him. After looking at everything he said,

"If you want to sell, I'll put it on the market for $575k. After expenses and my commission, you'll get over half a million easy."

"So in the end, we're talking half a million."

"Say half a mil. It will be a bit more, but for the divorce papers, say that."

"That's good, thanks."

Just then his cell phone rang, so I picked the empty beer bottles and put them in the garbage.

"Mac do you mind if I leave?" he called.

"No. No problem."

"Call me when you know what you're doing with the house."

"I've got to talk to Anna first, and then I'll tell you."

"OK,.got to run. Bye, Mac"

"Bye, Pete."

I walked him out and then picked the phone and called Anna.

"Hello Anna."

"Hi Mac."

"Can we talk?"

"Sure."

"For starters, I'm not going to back down on the divorce. I've already called my lawyer and asked him to get the paperwork started."

"OK." She said, very quietly.

"From the house, I only want the DVDs and my clothes. You can keep the house and buy my half, or we sell it and spilt the money. You can keep your car, and we split the money on the bank account."