Priorities-Jack & Emma

"Jacky boy...pull your tongue back in, stud!" chuckled Chee, smacking Jack in the back of the head.

Almost as if waking from a dream, Jack began stammering, "Um...ah...no, you didn't do anything. It's fine...really...no problem."

Chee started laughing hysterically before settling down and approaching the young woman.

"Please forgive my awestruck companion here. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Michael Chee and this; this poor sap is Jackson Nathan Lee, called by friends as Jack. Some say he's a descendant of the famous Southern general, Robert E. Lee but you wouldn't know that by listening to him. Of course, you already ruined him earlier today.

Puzzled, she stared at Chee and then back at Jack. Her eyes widened in recognition. "Yes, on the dock earlier this afternoon."

Jack, finally gathering his wits, punched his friend on the arm and said, "No, it's okay. I'm sorry about my friend here. He calls himself Red Cloud's Revenge but he's not even Sioux. He's Salish! I would probably have lost to this dumbshit Indian anyway. You just accelerated the inevitable."

The young woman smiled and said, "Oh...okay, I was afraid I may have ruined your, ah...billiard game?"

"Just pool, actually we were playing eight ball. And, I apologize for the language. I didn't know you were behind me." Jack enjoyed listening to her voice, a soft musical lilt to her enunciation. In fact, he suspected some Irish may in there somewhere.

"Uh...that's alright, I've heard worse believe me. I have three older brothers. My name is Emma, Emma O'Brian." She held out her hand and he shook it finding it warm and soft yet with a firm grip. For a moment, he didn't want to let go but reluctantly released her.

"Very nice to meet you Emma O'Brian. Are you from around here?"

"No," she said. "I'm here with some girlfriends visiting Seattle for the weekend. Kind of a get away from school."

Chee interrupted to ask, "Emma...where's your girlfriends? Are they here?" a huge grin on his face, his eyes twinkling of future conquests.

"Chee, for god's sake...," Jack whined.

"What? Can't a guy ask?" said Chee.

"It's okay...really," said Emma and pointed to a high pub table just on the other side of the bar. She waived at two young and very pretty women looking at her. Smiling, they waived back.

"Please excuse me," said the Chee, "but duty calls. I'm afraid your friends look rather lonely and need some local guidance." The excited Native American vanished leaving both Jack and Emma laughing.

"What school?" he asked.

"Excuse me?" she replied.

"What school are you from?"

"Oh...UC Berkley."

He frowned and growled, "OH NO, a liberal among sheep!"

She couldn't help but laugh. "Maybe...but I don't see any sheep. More likely wolves but definitely no sheep."

Jack snarled in his best John Wayne inflection, "You may be right pilgrim but around here it's huskies...Washington Huskies."

Again she laughed and nodded. "I must acquiesce, Washington Huskies it is."

"That was quite a ship you boarded today. Your fathers?"

The sudden change of topic caused Emma to stare at him before she smiled, understanding what he meant. Laughing she said, "Oh god no, that was my roommate's parents boat. They were throwing a graduation party for her." Still laughing, she continued, "My folks could probably only afford the cab it took me to get there from the airport."

Jack grinned and Emma was taken by his lopsided grin, framed by several days' growth of beard. She felt a stirring of emotions for this shy and clumsy yet somehow dashing young man as his dark brown eyes gazed at her. She found herself attracted to the tall lanky pool player, his scruffy dark brown hair falling across his eyes. She saw a deep scar run from his right temple to just below his cheek.

Jack noticed where she was staring and said, "Knife. Deep in the bowels of LA trying to protect the virtues of a fair maiden against the ravages of twelve sex-starved gangsters!" Emma glared at him as if he had lobsters crawling out of his ears.

"Would you believe, five ex-boyfriends trying to get their things back? No? Okay then, how about...one angry sister throwing a coffee cup at her brother for spying on her and her boyfriend necking in the kitchen?"

Emma tried to suppress a giggle but couldn't keep from laughing. He just looked at her unsuccessfully trying to look cool and sincere, that crooked grin popping out as his friend, Chee, suddenly appeared and rolled his eyes as he shook his head.

Chee said, "Now do you understand what I go through?"

"What the hell are you doing here, you crash and burn?" questioned Jack.

A very attractive blond-haired young woman popped around from in back of the Native American and giggled, "No bloody likely, I'd say," she cheerfully said in a low seductive voice.

Emma laughed and said, "Jack, this is Diana. Another of my roommates and, as you've probably guessed, not from around here either."

Jack smiled and shook Diana's hand as she said, "Ello Jack, pleased to meet you, mate. Sydney."

"Beg your pardon?"

"Sorry chum, from down under...Australia, mate. You know...shrimp on the barby, koalas, roo's and all that. Sydney, Australia."

"Roo's?"

"Kangaroos you dunce," snickered Chee. "Even I figured that one out."

Jack and Emma laughed as Chee and Diana told the couple they were heading out to Pioneer Square. The two accompanied them and spent the evening sampling all that Seattle had to offer; the Public Market, Pioneer Square, the Seattle Underground and the Center, the home of the famous Space Needle.

Jack and Emma seemed glued together for the next three days, before she and her friends had to return to Berkley.

On the evening before her departure, the two were sitting in an old thread bare sofa on the upper deck of his house boat gazing at the setting sun. Emma snuggled against the left side of his chest, his arm around her shoulders.

"Jack?" she whispered.

He looked down into those green gems gazing up at him. "Yes?"

"Thank you, this has been so wonderful!" she sighed. After the past three days, she felt as if she knew everything about this man.

Smiling, he replied, "You're welcome." He tightened his grip on her lithe frame, smelling the fragrance of jasmine in her red hair. An icy chill ran through his heart as he thought of her leaving. He didn't want her to go.

"Jack?" she softly asked again.

"Mmmm...?"

"I...I..." She couldn't find the words for what she needed to say.

Coming to her rescue, Jack said, "Em...would you mind if I came down to see you once in a while? I've really enjoyed your company so much and would like to keep seeing you. That is, if you like?"

"I'd like that," she murmured. "I would like that very..." She never got the chance to finish her sentence before he pulled her close and kissed her. He realized, at that moment, how much she meant to him...how much he loved her.

Emma moaned as his tongue sought hers. God, how I love this man, she thought thrilled and scared at the same time. It's only been three days, Emma's mind screamed. As she breathed in his scent, she muttered, "I don't care."

Jack was about to ask what she meant but, instead, let his lips continue with their sensual dialogue.

A year later, after a whirlwind courtship and Emma's graduation, they were married and moved to a small town just north of Monterey, California. The following three years found Emma giving birth to Emilia and a year later, Jackie.

Staring at Em sitting in the swing, Jack thought of the girls. By now, both of them were away at school, Emilia following her mother's example at Berkley and Jackie was attending Washington State U. Since the girls left home, things had become tense around the household. Jack had become buried in work and Emma more involved with Preston and Sons, a prestigious law firm focused in civil law and big business.

Emma was a personal assistant to the son of Douglas Emmet Preston, David Preston. Tall, blond with dark gray eyes, he possessed the confidence and predatory instincts to become a very successful civil attorney. And, Emma was his latest prey, Jack was sure of it...even if Emma didn't believe it. He knew she could be so naïve at times, a product of her liberal background. The past year witnessed increasing friction between the two of them as they became more and more embroiled in their work and Jack could see his wife becoming further distant with each passing day.

Jack poured the coffee into two cups and carried them outside giving one to his wife.

"Thanks," she whispered taking the hot cup.

"Anytime," he replied and she looked at him for a moment before turning her gaze to the mass of purple, red and orange bougainvillea growing along the back wall.

Jack sat on a stool next to the swing and waited. Sipping the hot black brew, he stared at the sky watching as a lone jet left an extensive white vapor trail along the immense blue sky, the only blemish in its expanse.

"Jack..."

"Yeah," he said quietly.

"I'm sorry."

Jack gulped and looked down into his coffee, a thin sliver of steam rising from the dark brown liquid.

"For what?"

She closed her eyes and sipped from her cup before answering his question.

"For causing you to think I cheated. I didn't. Well, not physically, I guess."

"Not physically?"

She turned to stare at her husband, looking into his deep brown eyes. "I never had sex with him. But I...ah...have been with him."

Jack didn't say anything, just watched her many expressions flash across her face. She never could hide her feelings.

"He invited me to dinner on several occasions, the last two requests, I...I accepted. At the time, you were away in Anchorage. You remember those three weeks you were gone?"

Jack nodded. Coincidentally, that had been three months ago when he noticed a chill develope between the two of them. He had been sent to Alaska to check for possible oil seepage and rising toxicity in the bay and if there were any impacts on the environment. He always called her every day he was gone and could pinpoint the exact moment when she sounded different on the phone. She had sounded flustered, a guilty edge to her voice but he didn't ask.

"I remember. You sounded different on the phone, like something was bothering you."

"Yes, I felt guilty after that first time. I knew I shouldn't have accepted his invitation but...I did."

"But...you didn't feel guilty after the second dinner? Did you have a good time? Was he everything you imagined? Was he better than your lowly husband?"

"Jack, stop that. Yes, I enjoyed the evening and he was a gentleman the entire time. We just talked."

"Talked?"

Emma paused and stared into her coffee cup. "Yes, we just talked." She knew the next question.

"About what?"

"Everything. We talked about the law firm, my future with Preston and Son, about me and...you. We talked about the girls."

"What about you and me?"

"He wanted to know how everything was between the two of us. David told me the firm was thinking of promoting me to the position of Executive Manager for the firm and wanted to know if our family life was good."

"And?"

Emma looked away, gazing at the sky. "I told him you and I had some issues to work out. I told him..."

"Told him what, Emma?"

"I told David I felt you believed your job, your career was more important to you than your family, more important than me."

"Lay you ten to one, Emma; he suggested to you that I was probably having an affair, didn't he?"

At first she was going to deny Preston had spoke those exact words but nodded and said, "Yes, he did. But, please believe me Jack, I didn't consider it for a moment. I knew you would never have an affair, never cheat on me. He didn't say anything further."

"Anything else?" There was an edge to his voice.

Emma briefly closed her eyes before continuing. "Yes. He's asked me to accompany him on a business trip to Vancouver."

"You know what he wants don't you, Emma?"

"Jackson Lee, you always think the worst of people. He needs me to go with him, to act as his assistant during important negotiations. It's part of my new responsibilities as Executive Manager." Her face flushed with anger, lately a normal routine with Emma.

"Okay Emma, you told me. You've been out to dinner with this man twice and now he wants you to go with him for how long?"

She looked down and softly replied, "Three days."

"So, what do you want from me, my blessing?"

"I don't need your blessing, Jack but I wanted you to understand this is only business. I know I was wrong about having dinner with him without telling you. That's why I'm telling you now."

Jack just stared at Emma. She was on her high horse that was for sure. Well, time to knock her off.

"Fine, you do that, do whatever you want Emma. Evidently, whatever I think doesn't mean shit to you."

"That's not tru..."

"LET me finish! And yes, it is true. For the past six months, we've hardly been the loving couple...I don't know why. Yes, I've been very busy on this latest project in Alaska but you've always understood. Suddenly, things have changed and not for the better. I find out you've been on two dates while I was gone. Oh...you are sorry for not telling me but evidently not sorry about going out with that asshole. Fine! Here's the deal. You go on your three day 'business trip' with that pussy hound. Guess I can have dinner with a 'friend' a few times myself. Maybe even go on a 'business trip' back to Alaska. Seems to me, Marie would love to finally get some field experience."

Emma stared at her husband, "Marie?"

"Yeah, you remember Marie! She's that new environmental engineer we hired. You met her at the last picnic. Long blond hair, blue eyes...remember?"

Emma did remember. Marie was gorgeous and...young. And, she remembered how the girl went on and on about how much she's learned from Jack.

"You can't be serious! You're just saying that to get me jealous!"

"Now, why would I do that? Obviously, I shouldn't be jealous of dipshit now, should I?"

"No, of course not," she said a little too quickly. Damn him, she thought. All she wanted was some alone time for herself and enjoy the attentions of a man who knew how to treat a woman. She wasn't going to do anything other than have dinner with the man. But, here was Jack saying exactly the same thing she had and she could feel the seeds of jealousy growing within. Well okay, if that was how he wanted to play it.

"Fine, you do what you think is best, Jack. I'll be leaving this Friday and be back Monday."

"Wow, a little quick there Emma. Not much advance notice...huh? Do me a favor before you leave on this 'business trip.'?"

"What?" she answered.

"Be sure you're up on you birth control. I don't want someone else's little mouth to feed. And, make him use a condom. You don't want to get any diseases."

Seething, his wife finished the last of her coffee and stood. "I'd better start getting my things together," she sneered.

Jack didn't reply. He watched as his wife stomped into the house. Fuming, he remained outside. Without warning, he growled and hurled his coffee cup against the wall shattering the porcelain into pieces. "Damn that woman!" he muttered under his breath.

Thursday evening was arctic in the Lee home. Didn't matter it was the middle of summer with typical California weather—warm and breezy, it was frosty between husband and wife. Jack and Emma barely spoke to one another. She was still furious at her husband and Jack acted as if he could care less, pretty much ignoring her and her feelings.

Early Friday morning, Emma awoke and immediately realized she was alone. Normally, she was always the first to wake and start the coffee but, this time, Jack was gone. When she glimpsed his side of the bed, she noticed his covers were pulled up and his pillow missing. An icy fear seeped through her as she grasped Jack had not slept in the bed. "Damn it, Jack where are you?" she muttered as she flung back the covers and slid off the mattress.

Searching for her husband, she found his pillow on the bed in the guest room. The bed had obviously been slept in but Jack was not in the room. She quickly stepped into the kitchen only to find the coffee maker empty. "Shit, you didn't even bother to make coffee?" she angrily protested.

"Jack? JACK!"

There was no answer and she became concerned. As she moved back into the bedroom she spied a half sheet of paper propped against their wedding photo on her dresser. She grabbed the paper and saw it was in her husband's handwriting.

"Emma,

Sorry I won't be able to see you off. Hope you enjoy your time with David Preston. I'm sure he will take good care of you. More than you probably feel I would. Well, I guess you need that kind of attention. By the way, who other than David Preston has spoken to you about this new position?

Oh, and speaking of David. I have to confess, I almost confronted that piece of shit about inviting a very married woman, my married woman to dinner without the knowledge of her husband but decided he's not the problem. You are! It was your decision to accept both invites. It was your choice not to tell me. And, now you've resolved to go away with him for three days. All he did was dangle the carrot. You're the one who took the bait.

I'll be away for the week so I won't be home when you get back from you're your little interlude. I'll be in Valdez. A last minute request by the company, sorry for the short notice. If there's an emergency, call my cell. By the way, when I get back, we need to sit down and discuss who gets what. And, what to tell the girls.

Have fun with Preston!

Jackson Nathan Lee"

"OOOoooh, that asshole!" She screamed crumpling the sheet of paper and tossing it against the wall. "I'll just bet he's taking that Marie," she spat. "Well, fuck him. Two can play at that..." She stopped mid-sentence. "Sit down and see who gets what? Tell the girls? What the hell..." She knew exactly what he meant. She plopped down on the bed and stared at the crumpled piece of paper. Tears began to fall as she realized Jack was telling her it was pretty much over if she went with Preston. Then she thought of Marie with her husband and her eyes narrowed as her eyebrows furrowed. I don't think so, she reflected.

******

The plane slowly taxied to the terminal of VA Aviation. As soon as the aircraft came to a stop, Jack and Marie gathered their carry-on luggage and bailed from the twelve passenger turbo-prop. Half an hour later, they were standing in the lobby of the Best Western - Valdez Harbor Inn. Marie stood aside as Jack checked in at the desk. When he returned, he handed her a key and grabbed the luggage. Moving into the elevator, they proceeded to the room.

As Marie got off on her floor, Jack watched her step out pulling her travel case behind her. He wondered how she'll do tomorrow. They would be testing the waters of Port Valdez through the Valdez Narrows into Prince William Sound, so it was going to be a long, full day.

Later, as he sat in a chair by the window of the hotel room, he gazed outward at Valdez Port. Really beautiful here, he thought. An image formed in his head, Emma staring up at him with the green eyes of hers. "Why?" he muttered. "Why would she do this?"

As if answering his own question, he thought, when was the last time you took her out to dinner? How long has it been since we went dancing? Hell, when was the last time I actually held her in my arms. He frowned and wasn't happy with the answers.

******

"Marie, grab the bucket...make sure it's tied off before you gather samples!"

Marie LeSand nodded and, biting her lower lip, lifted the heavy bucket off the pitching deck and shuffled to the railing, the nylon rope trailing behind.

"Ready?"

She nodded and Jack said, "Okay, go ahead."