Love Me Tender - Please Pt. 04

Part IV -- Ray's suspicions confirmed

Chapter 43

The ringing of his cell phone brought Ray far enough out of his stupor to where he could read the caller ID. The words "Nevada Call" appeared so he left the phone on the table until the voice mail picked up. The phone rang several more times but he never fully awakened enough to know the time.

An urgent need to empty his bladder finally forced him out of bed. On the way back from the bathroom, he stopped in the kitchen to wash down some aspirin with several glasses of water. His cell phone was chirping and the Missed Calls list indicated there were four calls from Nevada. Calling his Voice Mail, he listened to Karen's voice telling him that she could explain what happened. It was one o'clock, which meant it was only ten in Vegas.

Ray dialed the hotel and punched in her room number at the prompt. The phone rang about five times before transferring to voice mail. He told her what time it was and if she wanted to talk, she could call him back. He waited and dozed in his chair for another hour or so before giving up and going to bed.

Another intense need to piss woke him at about the time the sun was rising. Staring at himself in the bathroom mirror, he was surprised at how refreshed he felt until he realized that he had slept off and on for about ten hours.

After showering, shaving and brushing his teeth he felt like a new man. While waiting for the coffee to finish, he picked up the phone and dialed Karen's room again. Just as before, there was no answer and it switched over to voice mail. Ray did not bother leaving a message but hung up and dialed Karen's cell phone.

Someone answered her phone but immediately hung up. He called back he got the message saying that the phone was turned off.

"What the fuck is going on?" he yelled at the inanimate phone as if it could answer his question.

Standing there, staring at the silent instrument in his hand, Ray admitted to himself that he definitely was a fool and an idiot. As he put the phone back on the table he realized that the emotion he felt was sadness rather than anger.

He had already discovered that anger was not going to solve his problem as evidenced by Saturday's phone call fiasco. Going about the business of making coffee and toasting a bagel, he started to make a mental list of things to do. He already had the papers ready but he still had to decide when and where he would confront her. He knew he could not get a restraining order since he had no real proof that would convince a magistrate.

The home telephone rang just as he was preparing to leave the house to go to the hardware store. The caller ID told him it was "Out of area" so he answered it hoping it was one of the children and it was Melody calling from London.

She was all excited and gave him a rundown of her last few days without pausing for breath. She asked if Brian had called and he told her yes. He dreaded her next question about how her mother was doing but managed to get away with it by telling her he was picking her up at the airport that evening.

"There's absolutely no reason to get her upset," he rationalized about his avoiding an answer to Melody's question about her mother.

Walking through the aisles of the hardware store, he picked up replacement locksets for the front and kitchen doors. The only other outside door was the sliding door leading in from the patio and there was no key lock on that door. He could fix it so she could not get in through the kitchen door from the garage by changing the code on the garage door opener.

On the way back to the house, he decided against stopping for more beer. He knew that if he were going to be able to contain his anger when he saw Karen, he would have to be sober. Collecting the necessary tools from the garage, he changed the locks and the code on the automatic garage door opener.

He had just settled down into his chair when Brian called. He was doing fine and from the sound of his voice, he had not missed his family at all. He never asked about his mother and the Ray did not volunteer any information.

A NASCAR race was on the television but Ray's mind was absorbed in writing scripts in preparation for all of the scenarios that he could come up with when he confronted Karen. There was no use trying to pretend that it was all a mistake and that she could explain everything away.

That Sunday afternoon was one of the longest days that Ray had ever lived. No matter what he tried to think about, his thoughts always came back to the same problem. He found himself vacillating between blaming himself and blaming Karen for their problems. In the end, he always came to the conclusion that he may not be the perfect husband but that he was not at fault for her craziness.

He finally couldn't stand it any longer and left for the airport a good three hours before her plane was due to arrive. After parking the car, he roamed around the baggage claim area, watching people as they greeted each other and collected their luggage.

It was a few minutes after seven before her plane finally touched down. Ray watched the escalator and it was another 20 minutes for the passengers on her flight to start coming down to the claim area.

He sat back away from the baggage conveyors keeping an eye out for her. At first, he did not recognize her and she was halfway down the escalator before he realized it was her. Her hair was short and it was a few shades lighter than her normal dark brown. The bright lights showed that it was streaked with even lighter shades of blond highlights.

His anger rose to the surface when he recognized Montrell riding a few steps in front of her. She was carrying a purse and a clothing bag and Montrell was carrying a briefcase. Montrell reached the bottom first, then turned and waited for her to step off of the escalator. Karen stumbled as she reached the floor and Montrell put his hand out to steady her. She pushed him away and balanced on one leg while she adjusted her shoe.

After fixing her shoe, she moved to walk away but Montrell grabbed her arm and pulling her tightly against him, he tried to kiss her. She appeared to resist and push away from him. After saying something to him, she walked ahead of him to the conveyor where they stood waiting for their luggage to appear.

The unfriendly interaction on Karen's part caught his attention and he held back and continued to observe them. Finding a spot next to the conveyor, Montrell picked two large suitcases off of the belt and set them down next to him. After ten more minutes or so there were only a few bags left on the conveyor and none of them apparently belonged to either Montrell or to Karen.

Ray continued watching as they apparently discussed their options for a few moments before locating the lost and found luggage office. Montrell led the way with Karen staying a few steps behind him.

"God, she's beautiful," he thought to himself. "She looks ten years younger than she did when she left."

A Customer Service Representative examined their luggage stubs and after entering some information in her computer, she gave them several forms to complete. After filling out the forms, they turned away from the counter and Ray rose from his seat and walked towards them. Montrell spotted him first and said something to Karen. She looked up and started walking to meet him, but Montrell turned and picked up his two suitcases. Karen never looked back as he headed off towards the taxi stand without acknowledging Ray.

Karen looked as if she were about to faint as she hurried the last few steps to reach Ray. She did not try to embrace him but stood in front of him with tears streaming down her face.

"Oh, Ray, thank God you're here. After our phone call I didn't think you'd come."

She was making little fluttering motions with her hands as if she was trying to make up her mind whether or not to touch him. Ray could smell the alcohol on her breath and she seemed to be having trouble balancing on her heels.

Except for her tear-streaked face, she looked like a new woman. She wore an off white, linen sundress with a tucked bodice that showed the tops of her breasts and her cleavage. She had developed a dark tan set off by a heavy looking gold necklace with matching bracelets and dangling earrings. Her gold-colored, high-heeled shoes were held onto her feet by a few thin straps around her toes and up over her ankles. She was not wearing her wedding or engagement rings nor was she wearing the ankle bracelet that the children had given her.

Ray did not return her greeting but asked, "Where's your luggage?"

"It never arrived with my flight. They said it's probably on its way to Florida and they will get them to me as soon as possible."

"How many do you have?"

"Just one, but I let Montrell send one on my ticket since we're each only allowed two."

"OK, let's go. Do you want to wait here while I go get the car?"

"No, I'd rather come with you if it's OK."

Ray did not reply as he turned and walked towards the door. After a few steps, he stopped and took the clothing bag from her. She hurried to catch up with him as he strode across the road. Ray could hear her heels clicking on the pavement a few steps behind him.

Suddenly the clicking stopped and he turned around to see where she was. She was leaning against a concrete pillar and struggling to remove her shoes. He patiently waited until she had them in her hand dangling from the straps.

"These were not made for walking, that's for sure," she said as she caught up to him.

She slid her hand into the crook of Ray's elbow and they walked along side-by-side.

"You look really great," Ray said turning his head to look down at her. "You look like you really enjoyed yourself."

Karen looked up at him and a sob came from her throat. She squeezed his bicep so hard that it hurt him. Stopping in her tracks, she opened her mouth as if to say something but all that came out was a whimper and her face fell apart into a look of total despair.

Ray saw her look and he desperately wanted to take her into his arms and make it all better. His anger at his belief that she had betrayed their marriage kept him from following through. Turning, he continued walking towards the car while practically dragging her along beside him.

Ray let her climb up into his van without his help while he hung her clothes bag on the rack in the back. He no sooner started the car and backed out of the parking spot when Karen waved her hand at him to stop. She fumbled with the door latch and leaning out she vomited on the floor of the garage.

After retching a few times she sat back in the seat with her eyes closed and her breathing ragged. Ray handed her some tissues that she used to wipe her face.

"Are you all right now?" he asked

"Yes, I feel much better. I shouldn't have had those drinks on the plane."

"So much for the promise not to drink," he muttered.

Karen pushed the button that reclined her seat and leaning back and crossing her legs, she closed her eyes. Ray glanced at her several times on the drive home but she appeared to be asleep.

He noticed that there was a lighter tan line on her ring finger that meant that she had worn her rings at some point while she was away. Her face was not peaceful and whatever was bothering her continued to upset her even in her sleep. The muscles in her face kept twitching and she muttered some unrecognizable words every once in awhile.

The rocking of the van going over the speed bumps on their street woke her up.

"Oh God," she said. "It's so good to be home."

Ray's new key opened the door and he stepped aside as she walked in and went directly to the kitchen to get a glass of water from the refrigerator dispenser. Ray continued up the stairs and hung her clothing bag in the guestroom closet.

Turning around he was surprised to find her standing in the doorway of the bedroom.

"If it's OK with you I want to lie down for little bit. I don't feel well," she said

Ray nodded and left the room closing the door on his way out.

Chapter 44

Ray was still sitting on the patio as darkness fell. He was determined to go forward with his plan but he was still undecided on how he was going to confront her. He held on to a tiny hope that she had not been totally unfaithful to him but deep down inside he knew he was a fool for trying to rationalize her behavior.

It was starting to rain so he collected the seat cushions from the patio furniture and put them under the overhang to keep dry. He realized he was hungry and settled for a luncheon meat sandwich and a glass of milk. Halfway through his dinner he noticed her purse sitting on the kitchen counter.

He had never felt the need to delve into her private belongings until now. Carrying it back to the table, he sat down and looked at it for a moment. It only took him a few seconds to decide that her recent suspicious actions gave him the right to invade her privacy. He tipped her purse on its side and started sorting through its contents. He was not sure what he was looking for but her cell phone seemed like a good place to start.

Pulling it out of its little pocket, he checked the incoming call list and found the calls he had made while she was in Vegas but she never answered. There were other calls on it but he did not recognize any of the numbers and her contact list did not help to clarify anything.

Her wallet had the usual stuff in it including several hundred dollars in cash and several ATM receipts for withdrawals at several casinos. He soon had a pile of lipsticks, emery sticks, business cards, meal receipts, and wadded up tissues sitting on the table in front of him. Unzipping a side pocket, he reached in and pulled out three foil-wrapped condoms.

Staring at the condoms in his shaking fingers an image of a naked Karen lying on her back with her legs spread popped into his mind. He clenched his teeth so hard that he heard his jaw pop as he unconsciously crushed the condoms into an unrecognizable ball of foil.

Dropping the ball onto the table, he fished around in the same pocket and retrieved three tiny little baggies containing white powder and another, slightly larger, baggie with several different types of pills in it. His only reference as to what drugs looked like came from watching COPS and other crime programs on TV. He was sure he was either holding cocaine or meth amphetamine. He had no clue as to what kind of pills the other baggie held.

Ray sat at the table with his head in his hands staring down at the evidence in front of his eyes.

"At least she practices safe sex," he tried to laugh but it came out as a sob through a throat hurting with grief.

He practically ran up the stairs and opened the door to the guestroom. The light was on and Karen was sprawled on her back across their bed wearing only a pair of bikini panties. Her breasts showed evidence of red, bite marks and hickies and one nipple looked like it had dried blood on it.

Her panties had twisted to one side and he could see that she was completely devoid of pubic hair.

"It wasn't too long ago when that would have been a real turn on," he thought. "But she obviously decided to show it to someone else first."

The wings of a panty liner were visible stuck to the crotch of her panties.

"She must have been dripping cum all over the place. So much for that safe sex hope," he said loud enough for Karen to stir in her sleep.

Ray was so angry that he was afraid he would physically hurt her if he confronted her and she tried to deny anything. He flew back downstairs and taking his keys from the rack near the garage door he got into his car and drove off.

Karen heard Ray's voice come through her sleeping brain but by the time she could get her eyes open and focused, he was gone. Grabbing a robe from the closet, she hurried downstairs only to hear him roar off down the street.

Going to the kitchen to get a drink for her parched throat she stopped at the table and her knees buckled under her. Holding onto the back of a chair for support Karen looked in horror at the contents of her purse spread across the table. Sitting right in the middle of the table were the little baggies that she knew contained her cocaine along with her pills.

Her mind was already developing a plausible reason for having them as she sat down and stuffed everything back into her purse. She felt certain that she could lie her way out of this one with a little luck. It was not until she discovered the crushed condoms mixed in with the tissues that she realized it was hopeless.

Robyn had handed them to her on the way to dinner on Friday evening. They were in the crowded elevator when she felt Robyn pressing something into her hand. She glanced down and discovering the condoms, she immediately tried to give them back to her.

Robyn smiled and shook her head and whispered into her ear, "Keep them, you may need them later. Remember, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."

Snapping the purse closed she rested her forehead on the cool tabletop and cried so intensely that her tears formed little salt patterns on the wood. She prayed that what was happening was all a dream but when she lifted her head, the world that she had created was still there.

Hurrying back upstairs she quickly dressed and threw the clothes from her drawers into a suitcase and a plastic bag. She carried them down to her car and returned to take armloads of clothes on hangers and pile them into the back without even trying to hang them on the rack.

After loading everything that she could fit into her SUV, she sat down at the computer and wrote a letter. Sealing it into an envelope, she left it on the kitchen table with Ray's name on it. As she walked out of the door she turned and looked back with the awareness that this might be the last time she would ever see the inside of her home.

Closing the door behind her, she heard the lock catch with a finality that echoed loudly through her head. Collecting her briefcase, purse, and a few bags of odds and ends that she had left on the porch, she walked down the sidewalk to her car.

There was a blouse, still on its hanger, lying on the ground where she had dropped it on one of her hurried trips. She stopped and decided it was not worth trying to pick it up, so she kicked it off into the grass and left it there.

Karen had no trouble finding a motel room on a Sunday evening. She checked in and sat in the chair staring at the wall. She was alone and she was not sure where she was going to go or what she was going to do.

Chapter 45

After aimlessly driving around in an effort to corral his rage, Ray stopped in a diner and ordered a coffee and a piece of pie so he could sit and think. An hour and several cups of coffee later he still felt the anger that coated his mouth and throat with a sour taste from his feelings of betrayal. Making up his mind that he could not continue waiting to confront her with her infidelity he left his money on the table and drove back home.

As he pulled into the driveway, he noticed that Karen's Cadillac was not there. Wondering where she was, he picked up her discarded blouse from the grass next to the sidewalk and holding it up in front of him he answered his own question -- she was gone.

A quick check of the bedroom revealed her lingerie and other items were missing from her dresser drawers as well as most of her clothes from her closets

He found the letter on the kitchen table and sat down to read it.

My Dearest Ray:

I am so deeply sorry for what I have done. I realize that I have totally screwed up our marriage, our family, and our lives. I do not have the words to tell you how sick I feel about betraying you and allowing myself to turn into somebody that I despise.

I cannot tell you when or exactly why it started but as I look back on the past few months, I see myself as becoming a totally selfish and self-centered person.