Air Possum

I stopped her.

"By stupid you mean fucking your boss for a year before you got caught? Telling your friends I was a no talent loser who would never amount to much? How much better in the sack he was? By trying to rape me in the divorce? If I hadn't threatened to file suit against your company and get you both fired, you would have succeeded."

"Or how you tried to rub your new husband in my face, bragging about the money he made, how well he was hung, how happy you were?"

I paused while she reeled under my onslaught. Once started, I couldn't stop, having held it in for years for the sake of my children. I eased off a bit.

"I'm sorry your life didn't turn out like you hoped for, Rosalind. Really. But too much water has flowed under the bridge, and we can't go back. You're still attractive, you have a decent job now, and you're close to your children. Count your blessings."

Before I could say more the door flew open and Amy walked in. She eyed Rosalind coolly for a moment before turning to me.

"Lunchtime, honey. Do you want Mexican, or should we just have a salad and save the Mexican for dinner? I'll have it delivered to the house, so we'll have more time to...relax. Sound good?"

Rosalind sat with her mouth hanging open. I have to admit I enjoyed the look on her face. I rose, taking Amy by the hand.

"Ros and I were just talking about old times and I was just about to tell her how rosy my future was, but that can wait for another time. See you Sunday."

We were out the door before she could recover. Amy saw the look in my eyes at lunch.

"What? Everybody knows we're together. Your door wasn't shut good before I knew she was in your office. She needs to learn I don't share my toys, if she thinks that she needs to find another sandbox. I protect what's mine."

My face almost disappeared under my smile.

"Am I then? Yours, I mean?"

Her face got soft.

"Yes, you're mine. You have been since you were in the hospital and I realized I was falling in love with you. Can you handle that?"

"I doubt it, you're way out of my league. Won't stop me from trying, though. Might take me years to get it right, but I'll never stop trying to make you happy."

She jumped up and ran to the restroom with tears flowing down her cheeks. Apparently I had messed up again.

The kiss she gave me when she got back told me I was still doing something right.

................................................

I was seriously looking for the perfect ring, she was talking about changing drapes and carpets. I told her anything she wanted was fine with me, as long as she left my office alone.

She was happy. I was very happy. What could possibly screw that up?

I was in my office two weeks later looking at honeymoon brochures, when my secretary called.

"Boss, there's a lady here to see you?"

"Who is she? Does she have an appointment?"

"No appointment. She says she's your wife."

I wondered who the heck it was. Everyone knew Ros by now, and Amy hadn't said yes yet. I thought it might be a joke.

I nearly fell out of my chair when Sherry walked in.

"Hi, Zach, surprised to see me?"

She was smiling, dressed to the nines, showing her assets without looking slutty.

"No, more like disappointed. Why are you here?"

The smile left her face.

"I'd like to start by saying I'm sorry. Remember what I said in my letter?"

I actually enjoyed the look on her face when I told her I never read past the first page.

"Why didn't you read it?"

I decided to be honest.

"Because I was in too much pain. After Rosalind, when I found you it made me believe in love again. Six years, I thought you were mine alone, then I find out you've been performing sex acts for profit for almost a year. And for what? To make your sale, get your commission. Know what a lot of people call a woman that has sex for pay?"

She was struggling to hold her temper. Whatever she wanted, she must want it awfully bad. I decided to make the conversation brief.

"What do you want, Sherry."

She hung her head.

"I'm broke. I sold the house to keep my business going, but I lost it anyway. I know you didn't tell, but word got out about what I had been doing. All I got was perverts wanting to sample the 'incentives' I was giving. I lost my listings, then my business. No one in town would let me anywhere near their offices. I wasn't run out of town, but it was close."

She slumped into a chair.

"When I said I was broke, I mean really broke. It took the last of my money to get here and rent a room for three days. Help me, please, if I ever meant anything to you. I don't want much, and I won't stay here, but I need enough to last a few months. I've got a friend on the west coast who said she could maybe find me a position. Please."

While a small part of me enjoyed seeing her broken and begging, a bigger part felt compassion and regret. I leaned back and sighed, then got out my checkbook.

"This is all I'll give you for the good part of our lives, and you do have to leave town. Soon. I really hope you have a good life, I couldn't enjoy mine more. I'm going to propose to my girlfriend today. She's a good woman, and I love her with more passion than I ever believed possible. When I look back, I'm going to try to remember the good times, and believe what you did was done in desperation and clouded judgement."

Her eyes got big when she saw the check. She tried to thank me but I cut her off.

"Just take the money. I won't miss it, even I don't believe how much I have now. And I owe it all to you. If you hadn't betrayed me, I would have never moved here, met the people who helped me get started, and steered me to success."

She stopped snuffling.

"Could I please have a goodbye hug?"

I thought about it.

"No. Don't make me explain why, you wouldn't like it."

The door opened without a knock, and Amy strolled in.

"Hi, honey, I just need...."

She saw Sherry.

"Sorry honey, it can wait."

I caught her hand as she turned.

"No, I'll try to never make you wait. Miss Myers[I made her take back her maiden name]was just leaving."

I turned, my hand on Amy's waist.

"Good luck, Miss Myers, on your future endeavors. Please excuse me, my secretary will show you out."

I walked out with Amy, enjoying the look on her face. I never saw her again.

We turned a corner and Amy slammed me against the wall, covering my face with hot, smouldering kisses.

"I know who she was." she said. I started explaining but she put her hand on my lips.

"Hush. If you don't know by now, I can be a really jealous bitch. You're mine, and I don't like trespassers. Anymore exwives I don't know about?"

I shook my head no.

"Good. By now, you must know I have spies everywhere. I trust you completely honey, but you're a sucker for a sob story. You're too good a man. Thank God you've got me to keep you on the straight and narrow. And just so you know, I'm not above listening in on private conversations."

"Now, you have something you want to ask me?"

Well, it wasn't the way I had envisioned it, but I dropped to one knee and pulled out the ring in my pocket. People were walking by, secretaries and assistants on their way to lunch, floor managers bringing paperwork in. They all stopped and stared.

"As you pointed out, I would be lost without you. I think I need a bit more close supervision, and the only way I can get it is to have you with me always. Amy, love of my life, it took me two tries to get it right, but I believe I'm now with the woman I was destined to find. Please baby, marry me."

Not the romantic smaltz I wanted, but I made my point.

I think everyone in the hall held their breath, as she knelt down to my level.

"Yes."

Plain. Simple. And the word I wanted most to hear in my life.

People clapped, they cheered, but neither of us cared. We stayed on the floor, kissing for almost five minutes. Long enough for the kids to come thundering down the hall. Maria and Debbie pulled Amy up, and they were in a three way hug, dancing round in a circle. The boys just stood grinning.

"Quit smirking and help an old man up" I told them. They pulled me to my feet, and the girls grabbed me, while Amy hugged Jerry and Greg. It was all over both plants in forty minutes.

Mavis called me an hour later.

"Remember, I sit on your side of the church."

I wished I could have seen her face.

"You're not going to do a lot of sitting. My parents have passed. You'll have the position of mother of the groom."

She couldn't talk anymore, so she hung up.

................................................

The date was set. Amy was in my house full time. We had a long talk about the future.

"I think I'm going to retire. The boys have come along nicely, and Ralph will still be there to guide them. I'll stay CEO, but I'll only step in when they're deadlocked or need advice. If I retire, you retire, all right. Please honey."

She smirked.

"Like I'm going to let you wander around on your own. I'll have a new full time job, watching over you."

Everyone was happy about the engagement but Gail. She wasn't happy about anything lately.

She finally put a halt to her husbands' spendthrift ways. She told him he needed to get a job if he wanted play money. He had stopped working the day after they married.

He went into a rage and left, pulling every dime he could get his hands on from their accounts.

Then he sued for divorce, wanting alimony and half her part of the company.

Barry earned his money. He brought up the partnership and corporation paperwork, that plainly excluded the business from community property. It was a grey area, but Barry told him plainly he would drag it out for years, and he would be paying his own fees until then, if he couldn't get a lawyer to take it on contingency.

Barry had a good reputation, and lawyers were leery. In the end, Gail had to pay him a million and a half to get him to go away.

The drawback there was she didn't have the money.

She came out to the house, and had lunch with Amy and I.

"I want out of the company. I want to take the jean company and the brand. The rest you'll own free and clear. Can we work something out?"

Amy and I talked it over. She said it wasn't her call, but I reminded her we were going to be life partners, and every decision we made from here forward would affect both of us.

We talked to Barry, who got an independent company to come in and value the company. In the end, we split the company like she wanted. She got the jean company, and retained the Lardache label. I had to pay her two million cash to buy out the rest of her equity.

Amy tried to keep her with us, but she was adamant.

"I've learned a lot. It's time for me to move on, follow my own vision."

.................................................

As soon as the ink was dry, she closed the factory and moved the business to China. The locals were devastated.

When I found out, I was furious,but there was nothing I could do about her decision. What I could do was buy the equipment and restart it, under another name.

Amy came up with our new logo, Livin' Large, with two big L's in red on the pocket. We sent out memos, and went on our website and youtube to explain the change. We didn't slam Gail, didn't say where she went, but word got out.

Regardless, she did well for about three years, before selling the company to a Chinese syndicate, and opening her own design house in LA.

Everyone in the company knew I rewarded innovation and paid for designs. Maria came to me with an idea. I got her together with Mavis, and magic happened again.

Maria had a bunch of ten to sixteen year old nephews and cousins. She asked why they didn't wear our clothes.

"Lame" said one. "Ain't got no skulls or chains on 'em." said another.

They called Amy and I into the experimental shop. Mavis was seventy by now, and had decided to retire at the end of the year. It was her last effort for the company.

Maria had the kids who gave her the idea model them. The Punk Possum line. It wasn't the cute cuddly logo everyone was familiar with.

The possum had black, batlike wings, and red eyes. The wings were outlined in silver, giving them a skeletal look. We started out on hoodies and tees, giving out models the first ones, to get the look out into the community.

We married, and I met her son for the first time. She had him late, and he had just graduated college. Of course, we brought him in. It was a family business, after all. Greg took him under his wing, and Jerry helped.

Rosalind met a man and it turned serious. Before we knew it she was married and moved away. Although the boys would never admit it, they were relieved.

Our Sunday dinners have developed into quite a gathering. Amy and I don't work anymore, except for a monthly board meeting.

Our honeymoon was a world cruise. We liked it so much we made a cruise an annual event, dragging along the grandkids, to give the parents a much needed break.

It's been a good life so far.

.................................................

Oh, Mavis did retire, for six months. Then she called me up.

"You know who Ozzy Osbourne is?"

What an odd question from a seventy year old black woman.

"Yes Mavis, I do."

"Good, because I'm about to quote him. RETIREMENT SUCKS! When can I come back to work?"

"Just as soon as you can walk through the door."

She's still going strong.

.................................................

As always, thanks for reading. Votes appreciated, comments encouraged.