Revelation Blues Pt. 01

With Dean's arrival and the expansion of the family things got a bit busier around the Johnson household, but soon after Mary's daily pattern didn't change much. A year later, and although Mary didn't work, she asked and Scott agreed that they put Dean in a day care center, at least for the afternoons, four days a week. She thought, and again Scott readily agreed, that being with other babies and having interesting things to do would be great for Dean's development.

Two years after Dean's birth, Scott's company decided to relocate a major part of its worldwide operation, including their technology division, to Florida. Scott had to move as well, along with his staff, at least those who agreed to move. Scott had to deal with two things, the massive human and professional effort associated with the move and with Mary's initial resistance.

Mary didn't take the notion of moving to Florida too kindly, particularly the fact that she was leaving her family and friends behind and having to adjust to a new life. She understood that Scott had to move and keep the job he liked and had invested many years making it what it was now. She also understood that the alternative was for him to resign and look for a new job in California. Yet, she was adamant she didn't want to move. When confronted with Mary's strong resistance, Scott was willing to give in, resign, and remain in California. He told Mary that what mattered most to him was his family and their well-being. Mary noticed that he was somewhat disappointed but not the least worried. Scott informed Mary that he wouldn't resign immediately, he wanted to ensure that the move to Florida went as professionally and as smoothly as possible, however, he would inform his boss that he would resign as soon as the move was completed and someone else could take over his position. He needed to time his announcement to avoid rumors spreading and uncertainties compromising the move.

Several months had gone by when Scott was having dinner with Mary in one of their favorite restaurants. He told her that the preparations for the move were well advanced and very much according to plan so he felt the time was right to take the next step. He had a meeting scheduled with his boss the following Monday and he planned on informing him about his intention to resign then help him look for his successor. That's when Mary said something that took a while to register fully in his mind. He had to ask Mary twice to explain what she just told him. Mary had suddenly changed her mind. Despite her initial reluctance to move, Mary told Scott that she understood his job requirements and that the move would be good for them, like a fresh start, and that she was now ready to do it. He tried telling her that she didn't have to but she was adamant that they should go ahead and move to Florida. Scott was somewhat surprised by Mary's sudden change of mind; she now seemed more enthusiastic about the move than he was. He didn't understand why they needed a 'fresh start', but he attributed that to the lack of excitement in Mary's life, may be even the outright boredom she demonstrated at times. The direction of the conversation changed completely. They had to reconsider things differently now.

Sex that night was one of the most passionate they ever had. Shifting between intense and raw at times and tender and loving at others. It had slowed down a little in the last few months but tonight Scott felt that it was back in full swing, the way it always was between them. He and Mary will be OK wherever they were. He sincerely hoped that the move would give her an opportunity to get out of her daily routine, set up their new home, and explore new possibilities in Florida.

The time came when they had to finally move. They first rented a house in Miami Beach, a company perk, while their house in Redwood City was being sold, then they bought their new home in Key Biscayne. It was much more expensive than their previous house but that didn't seem to worry Scott much. He wanted the best for Mary and Dean. He hoped that the proximity to the beach and the unique lifestyle in Key Biscayne would help Mary adjust to and enjoy living in Florida. It took indeed a bit of adjusting for all of them. Scott was kept busy completing the move and putting together the new organization and the new infrastructure. Mary handled getting Dean settled in his new preschool, focusing on furnishing and decorating their new house, and dealing with the day to day logistics of a small family.

All in all they were a pretty happy family. That is of course if one made abstraction of the occasional arguments that all couples go through from time to time and what Scott noticed with Mary's shifting moods and bizarre behavior over the last year.

Chapter 3 – Don and Carla

The minute Scott sat in his car his thoughts started to focus on the purpose of Carla's call. He was that sort of person than can multitask and process a few things at the same time but there was always a dominant thought in the foreground. At work, his focus was on business matters, at home it was on his family and domestic matters, and now driving east on the Dolphin Expressway his thoughts were focused on Carla's call and what could be so important that she wanted to talk to him about it urgently and face to face.

Several thoughts or ideas crossed his mind. He knew that her shop was having some financial difficulties, so maybe she wanted some financial assistance or business advice, not that she would ask him personally for the former nor was he the best qualified to provide the latter. Scott had an impressive list of contacts that he could refer her to. Yet, something still didn't feel right, she could have at least hinted to that in their brief phone conversation. He suspected she may be planning a surprise for an upcoming event, but quickly dismissed the thought as unlikely; she surely could have dealt with this over the phone, or at least hinted to it, and as usual discuss it with Mary first. He could only conclude that it was most likely a personal and delicate matter.

His thoughts drifted as he remembered how they met Don and Carla Weldon. They were a few years older than him and Mary but not much. They met by chance. They had bought the same holiday package. They happened to be on the same plane on their way to Saint Martin for a week vacation. They also happened to be in the same hotel but in different wings. Both couples had a child, the Weldon had a daughter, Tiffany or Tiff as she was affectionately called, who was 12 years old, and they had Dean, who was 7 years old then.

They met several times at the beach or in one of the hotel's bars or restaurants. They didn't bond and become inseparable, but they were friendly when they crossed path and relaxed in each other's company. They would chat occasionally and share bits and pieces of their history and interests. Scott learned that they were about to open a new boutique in Bayside and that the trip was both a celebration and a break before the opening of the boutique.

Mary didn't like Don much, she thought he was "ugly and pompous" and was somewhat relieved when he became sick and spent the last three days of their stay in their room, actually bathroom would be more accurate.

On their flight back, in the same plane again, they were seated together and Don said he would like them to stay in touch and maybe have dinner together sometime. He wrote their address and phone numbers, including his and Carla's cell numbers, on a piece of paper and handed it over to Mary. Scott was surprised that Don handed the paper to Mary but she was closer to Don so he didn't think much about it. Mary handed over one of their visiting cards containing their address and home phone number. She told Scott later that she felt compelled to do it, a polite gesture, but wasn't expecting them to see the Weldon again any time soon.

She was right! They haven't heard from the Weldon for well over a year. Then one day, out of the blue, there was a call. Mary called Scott at work, first telling him he wouldn't believe who just called her, making him guess a couple of times, then told him that Don called and was inviting them to dinner at a nice Texan-Brazilian restaurant in Miami Beach. It seemed like a friendly invitation and they agreed to join them next Friday evening at that restaurant.

The evening went well. They reminisced about their trip to Saint Martin and evoked what happened in their respective lives since then. they had a good time chatting and enjoying the buffet and the wonderful meats being served. As usually happens, a few weeks later they returned the invitation, and from then on they saw Don and Carla on a semi regular basis.

Over time, Scott developed his own opinion about Don. He thought that Don wasn't the brightest person he ever met, far from it. That doesn't mean that Don was stupid, he just wasn't the sort of person Scott thought of as intelligent. Cunning was maybe a good definition of Don's character. He was a typical 'any product' salesman, the kind one meets in trade shows behind various exhibits or stools trying to sell a revolutionary food processor, usually the sort made in China with a built in TV should you get bored during the three minutes it took to grate some carrots. At the next trade show he would be promoting a noiseless and filter free vacuum cleaner, and sometime later, in another fair, a life prolonging and health enhancing pill. Basically just about any product a manufacturer decided to promote or dump, or suddenly became out of fashion. Don can talk for hours, tirelessly, phrases chained to phrases telling invariably the same thing in so many different ways. His idea of negotiation was giving the potential buyers a ridiculously high price to start with, telling them that this is their lucky day because he liked them and feels in a generous mood so he was going to give them a better deal. Of course they shouldn't mention it to friends or other potential buyers because he has to earn a living. That was when he usually smirked and winked. He would then offer them the very same product with a 40 to 50 percent discount, cash payment preferred.

The only problem was that Don was unemployed most of the time and his trade fair stints were few and far between. The boutique he had referred to when they first met as 'theirs' was actually Carla's. Don was busy being unemployed and occasionally with his trade fairs. Don practiced his selling talent in his everyday conversations. He always seemed to be selling something. Scott never liked or disliked Don; he accepted him for what he was and looked at the positive side. Don was at best entertaining at times and enthusiastic and talkative the rest of the time, even if many of the things he would say were of questionable taste. Mary gradually warmed up to Don and enjoyed his talking talent, he clearly was a great distraction. She enjoyed Carla's company and friendship as well. Don entertained her and Carla had a shop selling things Mary liked to wear. She started visiting the shop on a more regular basis, whenever she was shopping in the area.

Carla was the opposite of Don, she was quiet and reserved. It took a lot to warm her up and get her talking. She was a very private person. That was one of the reasons Scott was surprised when she called. Unlike Don, Carla was a no-nonsense person, she was soft-spoken but articulate and precise. When Don got to know her, and see her in her relaxed state, he was pleasantly surprised and impressed by her knowledge and her ability to tackle most subjects with ease and confidence. If the topic was foreign to her, she would not pretend or fake knowledge, she would ask pointed questions and show sincere interest in the answers. She seemed focused on two things, running her business and looking after her family. She had a discreet beauty about her and never seemed interested in competing with other women for looks or attention. Her make up was always discreet, her clothing mostly conservative, even when she went out to clubs or parties. She was in a very good shape for a woman of her age and one that gave birth to three girls. Their two eldest, who were 20 and 18, had already left the parental home and Scott and Mary never met them. The youngest, Tiffany, was now almost 15 years old and of course still lived with her parents. Carla enjoyed going out and having a good time, but she never flirted or abused her drinks. She was the sober one that drove her often wobbly and barely conscious hubby back home. She didn't drink much but she did smoke, a lot. That was Carla's major flaw, she was a chain smoker. Her smoking tainted her otherwise perfect teeth.

The two couple went out about once every month initially, as two couples and well as with other friends. They invited each other to their respective houses, for a barbecue or for parties. Scott took Don and Carla out sailing on two occasions. What surprised him was that it was at Mary's suggestion, she usually didn't enjoy sailing. The rest of the time they wined, dined, clubbed and danced. Scott danced with Carla a few times, she would hold his shoulder sometimes and talk to him with her lips almost glued to his ear. Knowing her, he attributed that to the loud music as they could hardly hear themselves talking. Both Don and Mary made a couple of sappy comments. Don had a silly grin on his face when he told Scott that Carla was one hot lady and she seemed to have some plans for him. Again, Scott attributed that comment to Don's drunken state and his lack of good manners. Mary suggested on a couple of occasions that something was going on between Scott and Carla. Scott knew that these remarks were probably suggested by Don. Neither Scott nor Carla ever said anything to the other that would have been considered inappropriate, not even in a teasing or in a light flirting manner. This was not in Scott's nature and he didn't get the impression that it was in Carla's either. Somehow these comments made Scott wary of Don and dampened his enthusiasm to be anywhere near him, so they went out less and less with them. Mary never complained and seemed to be happy with that.

Then that call from Carla which was the reason Scott was heading to Bayside and not to his home.

It wasn't rush hour but traffic was relatively dense and by the time Scott reached Bayside and parked his car it was 7:50pm. He walked over slowly to Carla's shop and saw her talking with a customer. He didn't want to disturb her so he waved at her and stayed outside the shop waiting for her to finish dealing with her customer. A few minutes went by then the customer left the shop and Carla invited him in. She greeted Scott and gave him the usual kiss on the cheek they all exchanged when they met, then closed the door behind him and put the 'closed' sign on.

Scott could feel the tension building. She was behind her counter, fiddling with some papers, and he was making small talk about how nice her shop looked waiting for her to come to the point of this meeting. Carla seemed hesitant and apprehensive; Scott felt that she needed some prompting.

"So, what is that urgent matter you wanted to discuss with me face to face?" He asked looking at her with a warm encouraging smile on his face.

Carla looked up at Scott, dropped whatever she was doing, moved around the counter, and stood in front of him before blurting a string of words that resonated like an explosion in his brain.

"I think that Mary and Don may be having an affair."

Chapter 4 – Revelations

Jesus, Mary, Joseph! Talk about a personal and delicate matter! His brain's tachometer was suddenly in the red zone, its gray cells spinning, processing what it was just handed, trying to understand, make sense, analyze probabilities, options, and implications. Did he understand her well? Was that a question or a statement she made? How does she know that Mary was having an affair with Don? She didn't say 'know', she said 'think'. He felt his brain saturating and about to explode. Scott could see through the haze clouding his vision that Carla was still looking at him, expecting a reaction, a response. Her lips were moving but he couldn't hear what she was saying. How long has it been since she asked him that question? A few seconds, half a minute at most! He breathed deeply. The methodical, rational, controlled part of Scott took over, for the simple reason that he had no idea what else to do. He reverted to the safe things he knew, was trained for, and applied at work. There are no schools or courses that taught one how to react and what to do in such circumstances.

"Jeez Carla... this is out of the blue... sorry. Do you know this for a fact or is this something you suspect?" he answered refocusing on Carla

"I'm not one hundred percent sure, Scott. It's something that has been nagging me for a while, I am almost certain that something is going on between them. Bizarre things are happening and it is driving me out of my mind. It has gotten to a point where I finally decided to talk to you and see if you knew something or at least shared my suspicions."

"Well then, tell me what led you to believe that they may be having an affair." Scott relaxed a little but as the words were coming out of his mouth, he remembered his own observations about his wife's recent bizarre behavior.

"For a start, they talk to and see each other a lot, my daughter came to see me last weekend and she was quite distraught. She told me that she heard Don several times on the phone with Mary, they call each other several times during the week and sometimes several times during the day and she heard him on a few occasions planning to meet with her. Tiff also told me that Mary initiates the calls most of the time; she calls both the house phone and Don's cell phone. Tiff is absolutely certain because sometimes she picks up the phone and Mary greets her. When Don notices that Tiff is around and could be overhearing his conversation he starts whispering or goes outside the house. Tiff told me that she is very worried about her dad's behavior because the calls last a very long time and his behavior during and after each call seems odd, unlike when he speaks with our other friends. That disturbed me a lot and I was planning on asking Don about those calls. Then on Monday I was saying hello to a couple of neighbors that were outside chatting when I was leaving for work. One of them asked me if our phone was out of order. I said no and asked what gave her the impression we had phone problems. She replied that she saw Don using the public phone booth around the corner several times recently. The other neighbor said that she noticed that as well. With what Tiff told me, I suspected that Don was using the public phone either because he called when I was at home or to avoid being heard by Tiff. You can understand why I became seriously worried as well."

She paused for a second as if to catch her breath and decide what to say next. Scott had never seen Carla so agitated, he waited for her to resume saying what she had to say while processing what she told him so far.

"Tuesday evening I decided to bring up the subject with Don," Carla continued, "He was kind of dismissive, he just told me that Mary is going through some difficult times and is confiding in him as a friend. She wanted a man's perspective on the things going on in her life. He led me to believe that Mary was initiating the calls rather than the other way around. When I asked what kind of things they discussed, he first tried to tell me that it was Mary's private life and he promised her not to talk about it. I insisted on knowing and made a big fuss about it, I even had to remind him that I'm his wife would you believe it. Anyway, he finally gave in and reluctantly told me about his chats with Mary. I've been thinking since then about what Mary supposedly told him and, honestly, it's the kind of stuff that you only share with someone with whom you are very close or even intimate, in any case someone with whom you have more than just a 'friendly' feeling. This is not girl talk. So I've become even more worried and more suspicious. You know Don has been out of work for a while, when he is not home or here helping me with the shop occasionally I imagined that he is out there looking for a job, but that also means that he has a lot of time and opportunities during the day to do what he wants, including seeing Mary. Mary is not working and Dean is at school during the day. You know Scott, it's like a worm, once you become suspicious of something it keeps eating at you and now it reached a point where I am convinced that something is going on. I am not becoming totally paranoid about something that isn't there. I have to admit though that I have no proof. Don't you have any reason to believe that Mary is acting suspicious?"