My wife would never have disrespected me like that. We loved each other too. Hang on a minute. You said the first time Deb cheated on you, were there other times? Mike asked.
No, just the two times. Then and now, Dave replied. Deb launched out of the kitchen. She shouted desperately, "I finished packing Mike. If you grab my cases, we can get out of here now.
Be quiet, Deborah. This last was said in a low but implacable voice. Surprisingly, the voice was Mike's. Deb stopped dead in her tracks. Mike turned back to face Dave.
Deborah assured me that she wasn't cheating because you had an open marriage, Dave. Did she look you in the eye when she told you this, Mike? Dave asked. Mike looked at Dave, then at a cringing Deb, then back to Dave. Dave saw in Mike's eyes the sudden realization that he wasn't as good at spotting liars as he'd believed.
What did she tell you about the state of our marriage, Mike? Dave asked. She said it had been shaky for a few years, Dave. That you'd been going to counseling for a while, but neither of you was that hopeful. Dave didn't say anything.
Just looked at Mike until he kept talking to fill the void. Now I think of it, that's not really consistent with what you said about still having date nights and asking if she still loved you. Dave again just kept looking into Mike's eyes. He picked the exact moment that Mike realized he'd been played for a complete sucker. A look easily interpreted as self-loathing washed over the smaller man's face.
Mike turned to a frozen Deborah. You cheating woman. You've turned me into the type of person I despise the most. A man who meets other men's wives without their knowledge. Mike roared.
With the force of this statement, Deb sank to her knees. Mike was suddenly at a loss for words and took an interest in the same patch of carpet that Deb found so fascinating before. He finally rallied and looked back at Dave. Please, Dave, you have to believe me. I'd no idea.
Don't sweat it, Mike. I told you she was a good liar. Christ, I wish she'd told me we had an open marriage. That way I may have got laid in the last year. The deliberate use of humor in the very intense situation seemed to work.
Mike relaxed a little but remained silent. Does this mean the engagement is off? Dave asked. Yes, definitely. Mike answered.
In that case, there's a couple of people I want you to meet. John, Alice. At that moment, the door to the basement opened. At the noise, Mike turned to see a young man and woman approaching. Mike, I'd like you to meet my son John and daughter Alice.
They've been listening to our conversations via a microphone. John finished law school 2 years ago and Alice finishes a science degree this year. Both John and Alice shook a bewildered Mike's hand. John then grabbed the envelope off the table and started perusing the contents emotionlessly. Dave turned to his daughter.
Do you believe me now, Alice? Dave asked. Yes, Dad. There's no doubt she is one cold, conniving schemer. All eyes turned towards the groan.
Deb was still on her knees, but now her head was in her hands resting on the floor. When she sensed the silence, she looked up into four accusing stares. She jumped up and ran out the front door. No one made any attempt to stop or follow her. John calmly finished flicking through the contents of the envelope.
This all seems to be in order, Dad. Good. Thanks. Now, who would like a beer? That fizzy is fine, but I need a beer to get the taste out of my mouth.
Um I think I should go, Mike answered. You stay right here, Mikey boy. We still have some things to sort out. Like what? Mike asked.
Well, I can forgive you for sleeping with the dopey woman, her claims of having an open marriage and all that, but I've still to decide whether to rip off your head and spit down your neck for trying to steal her away. Mike looked at the other man, noting he was a head taller and much bigger due to his manual job. Then he looked into the eyes and saw the now familiar twinkle. Mike was starting to regret not bringing some muscle with him. He could have asked them to belt their own client until the lesson that he'd been stupidly naive was firmly entrenched.
He had no idea where he stood now. Dave decided to ease his confusion. John is in the same line of law as you are, Mike. By this time, Mike was not at all surprised that Dave knew so much about him. Then, the penny dropped.
How's your current job, John? Mike asked. The hours are crap and the salary sucks, John replied. Would you like to come and work with me? Mike asked.
Hell, yeah, John replied. Dave smiled. Then, there's the matter of my ex-wife's upkeep until she can find a job. Thanks to your excellent work, she no longer has a house or any money. With a growing feeling of relief, Mike entered into the new spirit.
I'm sorry, Dave. As soon as she lied to me, she breached the implied contract we had. In cases of breach of contract, ownership reverts to the previous title holder. Yes, but morally? Dave asked.
Don't talk to me about morals. I'm a lawyer. John, do you have a dictionary? Look up the word morals, will you? I'm a bit hazy on what it actually means.
Everyone laughed. No, seriously, Mike. I think you owe it to me to look after her till she's back on her feet. If you play your cards right, you can pretend to be considering keeping her and get the things spoiled out of you in bed for a while. Ugh, no, I couldn't go there.
I will see if she's right, though. Not for her, but for you. I admire skill wherever I see it, and I've been totally outclassed tonight, haven't I? Have you ever considered a career in law, Dave? The way you kept me off balance by posing negatives as positives and never giving me time to think was worthy of the best prosecutor I've ever seen.
Dave smiled modestly, but didn't answer. He loved his job and the people who surrounded him at work. Right, that's four beers, then, is it? For the first time, Dave looked away from everyone. Until he was sure the tears forming in the corners of his eyes were gone.
There would be no more eye contact. By this time, Deborah Brown was 700 meters away on foot and still accelerating away from the burning bridges.