Wasting Time

"Ethan has to get up early to be at work. Call me tomorrow and I'll meet you in town and we can continue our talk there," she told him.

"Why don't I just come back here, that way the old man will be gone and we can say whatever we think and feel without worrying about him?" Greg pressed the issue.

"First off, Ethan is not an old man, he is only about eight years older than you. Second, it wouldn't look right and could get Ethan in trouble if you came back here. I'll meet you in town. We can talk there the same as we could here," she insisted.

After he heard the front door shut, Ethan returned to the living room.

"Guess you heard most of that?" Chris asked.

"A little," Ethan replied, "I'm glad you told him not to come back here. Sorry Chris, I'm very uncomfortable with him here."

"I understand," Chris replied, "There is no reason for it. I won't allow him to come back here."

Ethan could see she was stressed, "How about a game of gin?"

"Sorry, not tonight," Chris responded, "I'm wasted, going to crawl off to bed. See you tomorrow," she replied, moseying off to her bedroom without kissing him goodnight.

Ethan shut everything down, then sat in his recliner in the dark. That was his mood, dark. Chris hadn't missed kissing him goodnight since that night she kissed him on the cheek. Things had changed, he could feel it.

**********

A scream, Ethan bolted up in bed and heard Chris dash across the hall shutting the kid's bedroom door as she started soothing the little one back to sleep. Glancing at his clock, he already knew it would be four a.m.. It was the first nightmare either of the kids had since their second night there. 'Yep,' he lay there thinking, 'things have changed, but not for the better.'

**********

The next morning confirmed it, Ethan faced his first morning alone since Chris had asked for the alarm clock. His world grew darker by the minute.

After dressing, he headed out and stopped by the mess hall. His crew was shocked, it had been so long since he had been at breakfast with them, but they knew just by looking something was wrong. They didn't ask.

Ethan didn't eat breakfast, he just sat quietly sipping his coffee, not even hearing the war stories his crew were telling as they joked and laughed about their latest female encounters. He was lost in his own little world.

**********

The kids woke Chris up as they crawled in bed with her. 'Oh my God, what time is it. I forgot to set my alarm,' she thought as she bailed out of bed. 'Damn, Ethan is already gone.'

Then it dawned on her, 'Oh shit, I didn't kiss him good night and I missed breakfast with him.' She started to cry as she imagined what he must be thinking and feeling. 'But he is wrong... or is he... if so, then why didn't I think of those things last night. Shouldn't he be the most important thing in my life next to my kids? Damn.'

As Chris got up to fix her kids breakfast, she realized, "One way or the other, I have to deal with Greg today. At this rate I will end up losing them both, and I definitely don't want that to happen.'

**********

"Wrap it and let's roll," Ethan told his crew as they packed up and piled out for work. Their work order for today was some repairs at the stables. As Ethan looked over the list, he calculated with a little luck, they could complete everything in one day.

Upon arriving at the stables, Ethan immediately started placing each man on projects best suited for their talents and skills. That was one of the things that made him such a good crew chief, knowing and utilizing each member of his crew to maximize their efficiency.

Coming around a corner, he passed two grooms talking and laughing. While checking out a nearby stall repair where a horse had broken some boards with a sound kick, he couldn't help overhearing one of the grooms, named Raoul making a bold but indecent brag.

"Yea, I finally nailed that Amber bitch, that's classy stuff. She was a virgin, bled like a stuffed pig and squealed like one too but loved every minute of it. Hope the boss never finds out, he might fire my ass for taping his private stock. Probably spoiled his plans all to hell, I bet Richard thought he was saving that cherry for a special night."

Raoul looked very surprised when Ethan came out and grabbed him by the upper arm half dragging him back into the stall as he said, "Come here a minute, I need to talk to you."

After tossing him up against a wall, Ethan slammed his open palm into the center of Raoul's chest. "Look asshole, I don't know if what you are saying is true or not and I don't care. But if I ever hear you breathe another word about Miss Amber, you won't walk out of here. Do we understand each other?"

Raoul nervously licked his lips and nodded yes. He was too afraid to say a word, it might be the wrong word.

Ethan spun around and left. After getting his crew started, he headed up to the mansion to find Maria, the estate's overseer. He filled her in on what happened and what was said.

Taking hold of his arm, Maria replied, "That explains a lot of things. Now I know why Richard left the way he did... and alone."

"Sorry Maria, I don't know what you're referring to," Ethan informed her.

Maria realized she shouldn't be talking out loud, "Don't worry, it has nothing to do with you."

For some strange reason, Ethan felt it did, but he knew not to ask. He did add, "I meant it Maria. I'll beat Raoul to a pulp if I hear him say anything like that again."

"I understand, but you won't have to worry about it. I'll take care of Raoul personally," Maria stated. "You take the rest of the day and go cool off somewhere. I'll notify George to take over your crew for the day."

**********

Ethan was fuming, whose strange car was that in front of his house. He could guess since the license plate was similar to Chris's.

Looking at his watch, 'Just a little after ten in the morning. She couldn't get up to have breakfast with me, but can have Greg over bright and early when I'm not supposed to be here. I guess that answers all the remaining questions. Let's get this over with. It seems I've been wasting time ever since I met her.'

Quietly slipping in the front door, Ethan could hear the kids playing in the bedroom. Then he heard voices in the kitchen. Just before reaching the kitchen door, he heard Chris shout, "Oh shit." Stepping through the doorway, he froze. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as the room felt like it lurched sideways while the scene in front of him burnt into his mind.

Greg was standing with his pants open, his shirt half in and half out holding Chris in one arm as she was reclining back with her house coat slightly open. She was as beautiful as Ethan had imagined, but it was another man who was enjoying that beauty.

Chris spotted Ethan standing in the doorway and she immediately blushed all over as she shouted, "Ethan!" Greg never missed a beat as his other hand slid from her waist up to cup her breast as he squeezed it and pinched the nipple between his thumb and finger.

Angrily Chris shouted, "Greg!" Standing up, she slapped his hand away as she yanked her house coat closed in apparent embarrassment.

As Chris stood there at a loss for words, Greg piped in with a smirk, "Sorry Ethan, looks like you caught us. Hope you're not too upset. You probably remember what it's like to be young."

Chris turned three shades of red, "Greg if I had a gun, I'd shoot you myself. Ethan, this isn't what it looks like, you have to be..."

"It never is Chris... maybe someday someone will figure out just what it really is, but for now it doesn't matter. You lied to me and you have violated the decency of Wetap. Not only did you allow Greg to come back here, you evidently couldn't wait to jump into bed with him. I'm asking you to leave. Please make this easy on everyone and just go. I'll be waiting in my bedroom until you are packed and gone."

On his way to his bedroom he could hear her sobbing and telling Greg to keep his hands off her. The kids came running out of their bedroom, saw him and smiled until they heard mommy crying, then they made a beeline to the kitchen.

Ethan never looked back, he walked into his bedroom and shut the door. Falling backwards onto his bed, he began to shake and his gut twisted into knots as the pain from the emotional shock of this unexpected surprise registered with full impact.

He tried to just lay there staring at the ceiling, but it became blurred as his eyes filled with tears as he listened to the sounds of sorrow when the kids joined their mother in crying. Chris must have told them they were leaving.

**********

Chris tapped lightly on Ethan's bedroom door, "Ethan, we're leaving now. Everything is packed and loaded. I want to thank you for all..."

Ethan opened the door and stood staring at her. She was holding her son. He immediately stuck out his little arms and said, "Daddy, I want daddy," flexing his tiny little fist towards Ethan.

With tears rolling down her cheeks, she continued, "I want to thank you for all you've done for us. We wouldn't have made it without your help." Chris looked like she wanted to hug him, but Ethan never made a move or said a word.

She turned and headed down the hall and out the front door. Ethan followed her, stopping on the front porch steps.

Chris was headed towards her car with her little boy crying and reaching towards Ethan, shouting all the way, "I want daddy."

Ethan's heart was bleeding, but he knew there wasn't a thing he could do. This was Chris's decision and a fast clean break would be best for all.

As Chris rounded the front of her car, Greg tried to take their son, but he just kept leaning towards Ethan, screaming, "Daddy."

Chris was trying to get Greg to let him be. Ethan could hear him saying, "Come here, I'm your real daddy. Look at me... I said look at me." The little one was paying no attention to Greg.

Finally in aggravation, Greg slapped him and said, "I'm your father, now look at me."

Chris screamed and jerked her son back just as Greg and she both heard the sound of rapidly approaching feet. Greg spun just in time to see Ethan flying over the car hood before he slammed into Greg in an airborne lunge. The pain was overwhelming as they both hit the ground rolling, Greg in abject fear and Ethan in absolute fury.

Ethan rolled up on top with a firm grasp of Greg's shirt in one hand and pounding his face with the other. As Ethan pulled back his fist for another punch, Chris reached down with her free hand and grabbed his arm. "Please Ethan, stop... please don't hit him again."

Ethan looked down at Greg whose eyes cowered in fear and pain. Between his busted lip and bloodied nose, the lower half of Greg's face was covered in blood.

Pausing for a moment, Ethan took a deep breath, and stood up. Looking back down at Greg, he threatened, "Don't you ever hit my kids again you worthless piece of shit or I'll beat you within an inch of your miserable fucking life." Ethan stepped over Greg and paused to look at Chris. For the first time she could remember, he had tears in his eyes. Chris could see the hurt and pain she had caused.

"It's all yours, you made your decision. Now pick up your trash and get it off the property," Ethan said as he pushed past her and went into the house without so much as a backward glance.

Jerking the fridge open, Ethan grabbed a beer. After popping it open, he turned it up and guzzled it. He knew it would be the first of many he would need to drown his sorrows today.

Recalling the incident with Raoul and Maria's comments afterwards, he reached in and grabbed a six pack as he headed for his recliner. He knew for some strange reason a deep and dark cloud had descended over Wetap.

**********

When Ethan woke up the next morning, his neck was stiff. 'No wonder,' he thought, realizing he had spent the night in his recliner.

'I've got to pull myself together, this isn't me,' he pondered as he looked at all the empty beer cans scattered on the floor around him. Now he knew why his head was throbbing.

Climbing out of his recliner, he stretched his stiff body just before heading for his bedroom and a much needed shower. After passing Chris bedroom door, he backed up and stepped inside.

He walked over to her bed and picked up her pillow. Holding it to his nose, he breathed deep. 'Oh God,' he could smell her. Tears flowed as he sobbed into the pillow.

Just as he turned to leave, Ethan spotted them. All the one hundred dollar bills he had given her were spread out on top of the dresser. 'Why not,' he refused to even guess, 'I will never understand women anyway.'

**********

'What the hell?' Ethan thought as he pulled into a parking slot and spotted Chris's car sitting in the employee section of the diner. 'Bet her car broke down again and she deserted it. Wonder why Carl hasn't towed it yet? Knowing Carl, it's difficult to believe he has allowed it to sit there all week.'

As always, Helen was in her usual position when he entered, standing behind the front counter, butt propped against the back one as she sipped a cup of coffee. She nodded as he came in the door.

Ethan looked up to find the same hopeful, shit eating grin she always threw at him. Nothing ever changes. As he walked towards the back to his favorite booth, he couldn't take his eyes off Chris's car in the parking lot.

Helen grinned, she knew what he was staring at, but wasn't sure she knew what he was thinking even though she had a hunch. Reaching down, she grabbed a menu, tucked it under her arm, and proceeded to follow him as she reached into her apron pocket for an order pad and pen.

He still hadn't taken his eyes off the car and almost jumped when Helen said, "What will it be today? Your usual?"

Slightly embarrassed over being caught off guard deep in thought, Ethan mumbled, "Uhh... yea that will be fine Helen, thanks."

After turning in his order, on her way back to his booth she grabbed a clean cup and a fresh pot of coffee.

Helen filled his cup but he never noticed, his eyes were already glued on Chris's car again. Once more he was jarred out of his deep thoughts as Helen slid into the other side of the booth. Ethan looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"Why don't you just ask and get it over with?" Helen inquired.

"What?" Ethan asked.

Helen started laughing, "Yea, like you don't know. Ethan you're too smart to play dumb. She's here you know?"

"Here in town?" he asked.

"Not only here in town, she's here. She's in the back, she works here now. Her shift just ended right before you walked in. She's changing out of her uniform," an amused Helen informed him with another of those shit eating grins on her face. Ethan knew she was playing with him and getting a kick out of it to boot.

With a deep sigh, he responded, "Ok, now I know. So what? She's made her decisions and done what she's done. I'm out of the loop and out of her life."

"Wanna bet?" Helen challenged.

Exasperated, Ethan sternly tried to stare Helen down, "Look Helen, you don't know the whole story. I'm sure she didn't tell you what she did and I'm not about to. So there's no reason for us to continue this conversation."

"Wanna bet?" Helen challenged again.

"Ok, since I'm not going to go there, the floor is yours. Talk all you want," he quipped.

"Well to start with, she was not doing anything with him, not even making out. What you walked in on and saw was just a weird set of circumstances. Christie told me the whole story and I believe her, strange as it may sound." Helen firmly stated.

"Bullshit, I was there Helen. I walked in. I saw her half naked in his arms. I saw his pants undone. I saw him play with her boob. Yea sure, a weird coincidence my ass, what do you take me for? A fool?" he angrily spouted.

Helen wasn't smiling as she replied, "No Ethan, I've never seen or thought of you as a fool. But let me tell you, if you don't listen and pay attention, that will all change, and I won't be wrong in my new perception."

Just to half-ass appease her, Ethan offered, "Ok, shoot... it's your nickel."

Helen continued, "Right before you returned home that morning, Christie had just gotten out of the shower when Greg showed up at the door.

She didn't want to have him there without you close by, and especially knowing the rules at Wetap. After a short argument, they decided to come here to the diner to discuss their problems.

Greg had just opened his pants to tuck his shirt in when he asked for a drink of water. Just as she started to get him a drink of water, she heard something in the living room. Turned out to be you, but when she stopped to peak into the living room, you must have been just out of sight.

Not seeing anything started to turn back around when believe it or not, she tripped. Hell who knows, maybe he tripped her on purpose. Anyway, as she stumbled backwards, he caught her and that's when you walked in the door. Her robe had come open in the process and the boob playing as you call it was all on Greg's part. He just took advantage of the situation to piss you off. And it worked, didn't it?"

Ethan scowled at her with a severe look of contempt, "And you believe that shit."

Unflinching, Helen smiled, "Yes I do and if there is one person who wouldn't want to, it would be me. Ethan if I thought there was any hope for you and I... hell, I'd lie out my ass to keep you two apart. But I'm not going to stand in the way of two idiots who love each other, not for a lost cause.

And if you stop and think about that little lady, all she has been through, what she's done with and for you, shit... you will believe her too. Has she ever lied to you, or anyone else you know of?"

"Damn it Helen, why are you doing this to me. I'm hurting bad enough as it is already. She made her decision. He's still her husband, she decided to leave with him. She even took up for him after he hit the baby. What do you want from me?" he pleaded.

"That's just it, she didn't take up for him. She stopped you because he wasn't worth going to jail over. You were mad enough to kill him.

She didn't choose to leave with him, she left because you asked her to leave. After stopping here, she refused to go any farther.

He's gone and I do mean gone. You want to know what his parting words were?" she asked.

Ethan raised his eyebrows and turned his palms face up as if to say, 'lay it on me.'

Helen continued, "They pulled up in front of the diner, him in his car, her and the kids in hers. By the way, you did a good job on his face, he looked like shit.

We could hear them fighting before they even came through the door. It turned into subdued fussing once they were inside, but continued.

Christie was adamantly saying, "No," she wasn't going to leave with him.

Greg was half shouting that you had thrown her out, she had to go with him, she had no place else to go.

Calmly, Christie told him it was over. She was willing to adjust the divorce agreement so he could see his kids but only under supervised visits.

I guess she finally convinced him because his parting words were, 'Fuck you and your goddamn brats, I ain't paying for no fucking kids if I'm not getting the pussy. You think I'm going to send you any money when you're nothing but a piece of ass for some other man. Geez you're one stupid fucking bitch. You were a good piece of ass, but that's all you ever were. So long bitch, I'm outta here.'

Good thing he left. Carl had just walked in during Greg's final speech and you know Carl, he had already pulled his club out from under the counter.

I've never seen Carl so mad. If Greg hadn't gone straight to his car and peeled outta here, I do believe Carl would have beaten him half to death. And I would have just laughed."