Chapter 2

After the incident with Anna and Gary at the clinic Anna said she needed to come clean with Ryan. She really cared for him and wasn't going to lie to him. Needless to say, Anna and I are on speaking terms but we aren't best friends anymore. I never told her who the affair was with and I knew she would never ask Ed.

After Ed was beat up outside the office the police talked to all of us. I told them that Ed was my boss and I didn't know anything about his personal life. I decided to look for a job elsewhere since Anna, Ryan and Ed all still worked at the same firm. I needed to start over.

I found another insurance agency that sent me to school a couple of nights a week so I could also sell insurance out of the office. I would get paid commission besides my salary. They said they would also work around my kids school schedule. It was a win, win for me.

Whenever Gary would come over and gets the kids he would knock on the door. Even though it had been six months it still seemed odd, him not walking in and saying, "Honey, I'm home." I know I really missed that.

After I received my insurance licenses I decided to join a health club and exercise a couple of days a week. My bosses told me I looked very nice which made me feel good. They were both happily married and had families. I met their wives at a company birthday party. Their kids were similar in age to mine and all got along fine. A couple of divorced agents asked me out but I told them I wasn't interested. I did my best not to flirt or give the idea that I was interested. The last thing I needed was an office romance.

My oldest daughter told me that her dad, went out on a couple of dates. I knew it was just a matter of time because he was a wonderful man. She did say he told her because he was just going out to enjoy himself and wanted her to know it wasn't anything serious.

Needless to say I was hurt but he wasn't mine anymore. I would fight for him if I thought it would help but had no idea what to do. When he came over to get the kids he told me I looked good. It made me smile that he noticed. I told him he didn't look bad himself.

I took a chance and asked him if we could go out for dinner sometime. He looked at me and said, "I don't think so Shannon. That ship has sailed."

Needless to say I did my best to hold it together as the kids came in to go with their dad. I felt pretty gloomy and called a couple of new girl friends, Cheri and Barb, that I work with and we went out for dinner. I told them about Gary and they told me I didn't need him, there were lots of fresh fish in the sea.

Of course they didn't know that our divorce was my fault. They said all guys were pigs. They laughed as we ordered dinner. Cheri told me I could probably have any guy I wanted. I asked her how many guys want a thirty-four year old woman with three kids! I think I even laughed.

"Hell Shannon, we're not talking marriage here. It's just that you need some hot sex," she laughed. "Look, we all hurt after a divorce. My asshole of a husband was banging his secretary. After our divorce I said to hell with it and found me some strange of my own. You need to get back in circulation while you still have it."

Barb was dating a guy but said it was just for the sex. She wasn't about to jump into another marriage. She liked having sex, going home and waking up in her own bed by herself.

I laughed but really had no interest in just getting fucked. If it was just an orgasm I wanted I could use a vibrator and not have to kiss it. We ended up going out for a few drinks and even dance with a couple of guys. Cheri was right about some guys, they would fuck anything. I was tired of pushing hands away. Do some guys really believe that a woman wants to get felt up on a dance floor?

Cheri mentioned a party that was two weeks away. She said it was in somewhat of a wild country bar but there would be a lot of men there. Even though I was apprehensive I said yes to going. I would have the kids that weekend and asked Mom to watch them. She was glad to see me get out once in a while.

I thought about Gary and how much he liked country music. I actually thought about calling him and asking him to go but I knew he didn't want anything to do with me.

Cheri, Barb and Audrey came by and picked me up. We all dressed up in cowgirl outfits. I wore a flair jean skirt and a blouse with rhinestones. The last time I wore this was a couple of years ago when Gary and I went to a Halloween party. I remember making love when we got home. He said I really looked sexy.

I wore boots and a hat. Audrey said that I looked sexy as hell. I didn't know if that was a good thing or not. The four of us got a booth and ordered a round of drinks. This western bar looked pretty rough. It probably held a hundred plus people and was filled up. It looked like a pretty rowdy crowd. Cheri said it's not as bad as it seems. They have bouncers that throw out the trash.

We were there for about an hour and I had drunk too much already. I knew I better slow down. I looked over at another booth and saw Gary with another woman. I was surprised and the girls told me, "Fuck him! Just have a good time."

I was asked to dance by a big rugged looking guy. Usually he isn't the type of guy I would dance with but I guess I was pissed at Gary. I got up and danced with this guy. He said his name was Ben. He held me closer and tighter than I wanted. I didn't say anything but looked over at Gary who was looking back at me. He was dancing with his date.

Ben was pawing me and I asked him to stop. "Oh come on, you know you like it. Why else would you come to a bar like this?"

The song ended and they started playing a fast country western song. I was going to go back to my booth but Ben wouldn't let go of my arm. He pulled me into the hallway where the entrance to the restrooms were. He began to paw at my breasts. I told him to stop, I didn't want this.

He put his hand between my thighs under my skirt and squeezed my pussy. I yelled, "Stop! Please stop, I don't want this."

The music was blaring and I didn't know if anyone had heard me. I was so scared, then I looked up and saw Gary hit Ben over the head with a beer bottle. He didn't knock Ben out and a fight pursued. I think Gary was getting the best of Ben since he got in the first hit before Ben could react.

All of a sudden four huge bouncers came over, two grabbed Gary and two helped Ben out the door. Another man followed Ben out. I later found out his name was Rob and he was a friend of Ben's.

I went in the restroom to freshen up. When I came out I saw there was a big commotion at the back entrance. A number of people went outside. They said a man was laying on the ground and two men got in a car and left.

I ran out the back door and saw Gary laying there unconscious. Someone had already called an ambulance. I was crying as they put him in the ambulance. His date came out and looked scared also. I guess she had no idea what to do. I reached in Gary's pocket and took out his car keys.

"Here," I said to the woman. "Drive yourself home. I'm going to the hospital with Gary." I hopped into the ambulance and told them he was my husband. They looked confused but left for the hospital.

Gary was wheeled into the emergency room and I filled out his paper work. I was a nervous wreck but I had to keep it together for Gary's sake. About a half hour later the police arrived to talk to Gary and me. He was still unconscious but the police talked to me.

I told them that they needed to arrest this Ben guy. He and his friend beat Gary to a pulp. That's when they told me that the people they talked too at the bar said Gary started it by hitting Ben over the head with a beer bottle.

Even the bouncers said Gary started it. I tried to explain to the police that Gary was protecting me, that Ben was trying to molest me and Gary came to my rescue.

They said they talked to Ben and Rob and both said I was flirting with them. I was teasing them when Gary came over and hit Ben over the head with a beer bottle. In fact Ben was having six stitches put in his head as we spoke.

I was asked if I had any witnesses to verify my story. I told them Gary saw it and that's why he came to my rescue. About that time Ben came out of the emergency room. He had blood on his shirt and a gauze patch on his head. When he saw me he grinned. He walked over to the police and said he wasn't going to press charges against Gary.

"It must have been a big misunderstanding," Ben said.

The police told me how lucky Gary was. He could have done time for assault. I was so mad but didn't know what to say. The love of my life was still unconscious and I was supposed to thank his assailant for not filing charges.

What took the cake was when the police turned away Ben put his middle finger up to his nose and smelled it. He laughed as he and Rob left the hospital. The last thing I saw was Ben squeeze his crotch and smile at me. I felt so humiliated.

The doctor came out and said that Gary suffered a concussion and was still unconscious. He had a lot of bruises and a couple of broken ribs. It looked as though he was kicked a number of times. They believed he would come to but weren't going to rush it. He was admitted and they expected that he would be in the hospital for a couple of days.

I called my sister Beth and asked her to call Gary's parents and our mother to let them know that Gary was in the hospital. Mom would have to tell the kids. I told her I was going to stay there with Gary.

He was in ICU and I could only see him for a few minutes. He had bruises about his face and tubes everywhere. I sat down and cried. I couldn't help it; again I felt it was my fault. He came over to save me.

While I was sitting there holding his hand, his parents came in. There could only be two people at the bedside at a time. I walked to the waiting room and his parents were with him for a few minutes. They came in the waiting room to talk to me. I still got along with them but didn't see them very often. I wasn't invited to their family functions.

I explained to them what happened at the bar. I didn't tell them Ben grabbed me by the crotch. They didn't need to know those details. I explained how Gary came over to protect me and shortly after got beat up in the parking lot. I did tell them that the police blamed Gary for starting the fight even though he was protecting me. Again I started crying.

Gary's parents and I went to the cafeteria and had a cup of coffee. We talked about Gary and the kids. I told them that I would call Gary's work and talk with the insurance companies. I had my cell phone and would call them when I found out more.

They thanked me for helping Gary and stayed for another half hour before going home. I called my mom and told her I would be staying till Gary woke up. I wasn't going to leave his side. She told me the kids were worried about their dad but she'd told them he was going to be alright. They finally had gone to sleep.

The visiting hours for the hospital were over but they let me stay with Gary. I sat in a recliner and thought about our past life together. I was crying when one of the nurses came in and told me his tests had come back and he would be alright. She had no idea I was crying because of all my past actions.