Frank and Doris

That information kind of cooled me down. In the long run it would be cheaper to just stay married, but not live together. If Doris didn't like it then she could file and at least then I wouldn't get stuck with court costs and her attorney fees. I left the attorney's office determined to find a reasonable apartment close to work and move on with my life.

++++++++++++++++++

"Good morning. Thank you for calling Benton and Associates. How may I direct your call?"

"Dorie? This is Steph."

"Hi Steph. What's up?"

"Is every thing okay with you and Frank?"

"Why do you ask?"

"You know I work in the Marston Building right? This morning I saw Frank coming out of Tucker Davidson's office."

"Why call me about that?"

"Tucker is a divorce attorney."

"Oh shit!"

"Not good huh?"

"Not good at all. I've got six lines blinking so I have to go. Can you meet me for lunch at Maxine's? Say noonish or there about?"

"Will do."

After the waitress had taken their order Doris asked, "Does this Tucker guy do anything else besides divorce?"

"No. His practice is strictly family law and that pretty much means divorces. You and Frank having problems."

"Kind of."

"It has to be a little more than "kind of" if Frank is talking to Tucker."

Doris told Steph about what had been going on."

"You have to be kidding me Dorie. As long as you have been with Frank and you don't know him any better than that? Frank would no more take part in something like that than you would pull a train at a frat house.

"But he did. Mel Timmonds called me and told me."

"Mel did what?"

"He called me and told me what Frank did."

"Why would he do that?"

"He was always trying to get with me, but I was with Frank and when I married Frank Mel told me that some day I would be sorry that I picked Frank over him. He called me to gloat. Told me that my so called loving husband was making it with two strippers."

"And you believed him?"

"Frank confirmed it the next morning. He told me he was going to meet one of the strippers and he walked out of the house."

"That doesn't sound like the Frank that I know."

Doris told Steph just how things had gone that morning and Steph said:

"And you didn't give him the benefit of the doubt that what he was telling you was true? That he was just helping some one with a car problem?"

"Why would I after hearing what Mel had to say?"

"So after a phone call you tossed Frank under the bus."

"It was more than a phone call Mel said he had pictures. After Frank left to go to the stripper I met Mel at Denny's and he described the entire evening to me. There were two strippers and Frank did both of them a couple of times. Mel must have believed that I didn't believe him so he told me had pictures and if I would meet him at the Hitching Post the next night he would show them to me."

"Why didn't he show them to you at Denny's?"

"He had put his phone on the charger and didn't have it with him. Frank was home when I got back from seeing Mel and I made Frank wonder if I was late coming home because I was out looking for some one to get even with. I shouldn't have done that because then Frank accused me of cheating on him for weeks. I ended up sleeping on the couch that night and I was so pissed in the morning I tossed all of Frank's clothes out onto the front lawn and then called a locksmith to change the locks on the house."

"How did Frank take that?"

"Not well. He broke a window to get into the house, took everything he wanted and left."

"What did he say to you?"

"I haven't been able to get in touch with him. He won't take my calls. I called a company to come and fix the window and when I paid the man with my credit card he told me it was declined and so I had to write him a check."

"I hope you were smart enough to call the bank before you wrote the check. If Frank was pissed off enough to cancel your credit cards he might have cleaned out the bank accounts too."

"Oh shit! This just keeps getting worse and worse."

"What about Mel's pictures?"

"I met him at the Hitching Post and he showed me two pictures. They showed Frank watching a couple of guys doing the stripper doggie. The only face you could see was Frank's. When I asked him if that was his proof he said no, but he wanted something before he would show me the good stuff."

"Don't tell me; let me guess. He told you that you should let him help you get even with Frank and then he would show you the photos."

"Well yes, I guess that is what he wanted."

"And did you?"

"Good Lord no! I did get a little touchy-feely with him to lead him on and get him to show me the rest of the pictures he had."

"And did he?"

"No. I wouldn't leave with him and go to his place so he wouldn't show them to me."

"Did it not occur to you that he didn't show them to you because he didn't have any more? If he did he would have shown them to you to get you even more pissed off at Frank so that you would want to get even."

"I didn't think of that."

"Did you also not think about what you were doing? The Hitching Post is the hangout for most of Frank's friends. Did you not consider that one of them might see you getting all touchy-feely with Mel and call Frank and tell him? No wonder Frank was seeing Tucker. What it is Dorie is that I think you have managed to toss your marriage into the trash can."

"I can't believe that Frank would do that."

"Dorie honey; I'm not a man so I have no idea how a man would think after going through what you have just told me you've put Frank through, but if it had happened to me I'd be signing the divorce papers even as we speak. If I were you girlfriend I'd be finding some way to get to Frank before things get any more out of hand. Assuming that you want to keep him that is."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

The intercom buzzed and I hit the button and said, "Yes?"

"I know you told me not to take messages from your wife or put her through to you" Stella said, "But there has been a development that makes that impossible."

"What development?"

"She is standing here in front of me and she says she isn't leaving until she talks to you."

"Tell her I'm busy and I'm not going to talk to her on company time."

There was a pause and then Stella said, "She said to tell you she brought a book and she will sit here and read it until you are done for the day."

I looked at my watch and saw that it was three hours until quitting time. What I was doing wasn't pressing and I could have gotten away early, but the mood I was in wasn't going to allow me to cut Doris any slack. I did need to take Stella out of the middle of things and I was going to have to talk to Doris sooner or later so I told Stella to tell Doris to enjoy her book.

At four-fifteen I received a phone call from Doris' cousin and best friend Stephanie.

"How are things going Frank?"

"They have been better Steph. What can I do for you?"

"I had lunch with Dorie today Frank and the girl is a mess. She told me what has been going on and while I agree that she has done some stupid shit I don't think it has reached the level of divorce."

"Why do you bring up divorce?"

"I saw you leaving Tucker Davidson's office and divorce is what Tucker does."

"When she told you what has been going on did she mention the cheating part?"

"She didn't cheat on you Frank. Timmonds told her he had compromising pictures of what you were doing at the stag party and he was trying to convince her that she should get even with you by screwing him. She led him on trying to get him to show her the pictures. She swears she never did anything with him and I believe her. You two need to sit down and talk Frank."

"Maybe Steph, but there is more going on than whatever she might have done with Timmonds and I'm not sure that talking is going to do anything. But you are right; I am going to have to sit down and have it out with her sooner or later. Thanks for the concern Steph, but I'm busy and need to go."

"Bye Frank. Good luck."

"Thanks Steph."

At five I saved my work, shut down the computer and went to face Doris. She looked up from her book as I entered the reception area and I noticed the worried look on her face. She stood up and I said:

"I'll meet you at the Hitching Post. We can sit in the same booth where you were making out with Timmonds and have our talk there" and I walked on by her. I stopped at a gas station on the way and filled up so Doris beat me to the bar. She was sitting in one of the back booths and I remembered that Ray said that he had seen Doris and Timmonds in one of the back booths and I wondered if she was in that booth because she took me literally when I said we could talk in the booth where she had been with Mel.

I walked over and sat down opposite Doris and when Alice came over to get our order I ordered a Bud and said:

"Separate checks Alice."

The look on my wife's face when I said that helped make my day. As Alice walked away I said:

"Okay Doris; you called this meeting. Speak your piece."

"Why did you cancel our credit cards and clean out our bank accounts?"

"Oh come on Doris; you aren't stupid. You threw all my stuff out of the house and then had the locks changed to keep me out. That told me that you didn't want me around anymore. I can take a hint so I left and as long as I was going I wasn't going to support you and pay your bills so I cancelled the cards so you couldn't run them up. As for the money in the bank? You threw me out of the house so as far as I was concerned you get to help pay for wherever I end up living. Your share of the cash that was in the bank can help pay for my move.

"Besides, you have the house and it is worth more that what was in the bank. Of course you also get to make the payments on it from now on and also you get to pay all the utilities. Might be tight on what you make, but what the hell, it is what you wanted right?"

"No Frank, it is not what I wanted. I over-reacted to your going off to see that stripper after going to that party that I didn't want you to go to in the first place. It turned out just like I knew it would. A drunken orgy."

"So what does that have to do with me? Just because it happened and I was there does that mean that I had any part of it? How about when you stop for drinks after work with the girls you work with? I know for a fact that Linda Bliss and Joyce Baker go out to the parking lot with guys they meet at the bar and spend time on back seats. Because you are there with them does that mean you do some back seat playing too?"

"That's different."

"No it isn't Doris. You are saying that I am guilty because I was there when it happened so that means that you are guilty if you are there when Linda and Joyce do their thing. I didn't do a damned thing with the two strippers that were there other than give them a ride home when their car wouldn't start. I went back the next day and fixed her car for her. All I got out of it was a kiss on the cheek and a thank you and that was fine with me because it was all I expected. And before you asked I did it because they were in trouble and I was there and could help. I've done the same for other people. Just because they were strippers I should have turned my back on them?"

"Why didn't you explain that to me?"

"Why would I waste my breath Doris? You haven't listened to a word I've said for the last two weeks so why would I expect you to listen to me explain anything to you."

"Okay Frank; I'll eat crow and admit I was wrong to do what I did."

She opened her purse, took out an envelope and slid it across the table to me.

"What is it?"

"A key to the new locks so you can come home."

I pushed it back to her and said, "I don't think so Doris. The bachelor party and the thing with the strippers is only part of the problem. There are other things I am not happy about. One of them is that I'm sick and tired of you withholding sex whenever you want to try and make me bend to your will. Another is that I'm not sure I want to live with a woman who I think cheats on me. I meant what I said Sunday morning. You like sex as much as I do and you didn't seem to be suffering after not giving me any for two weeks so I have to wonder if in fact you were going without. I think I know the answer to that after hearing about you and Mel Timmonds. And I have not forgotten that you strongly hinted at the fact that you were out looking for cock when you came home late Sunday evening and as far as I know you managed to find one before coming home. I really don't see any reason for me to come home Doris."

"Damn it Frank! You should know me better than that. I was pissed at you and I was jerking your chain. I would never cheat on you."

"That's not what I hear. My information is that Mel Timmonds helped you 'get even with me' for what you believed that I had done at the bachelor party."

"I didn't do a damned thing with Mel. Well, maybe I did do a few things to lead him on. He said he had pictures of you fucking the girls at the party and asked me if I wanted to see them and I of course said yes."

"And did you see pictures of me fucking some girls?"

"All he had were two pictures of you standing there watching. He said he had some that were a lot more explicit, but I wasn't willing to give him what he wanted to show them to me. I did kiss him twice and I didn't slap his hands away when he copped some feels, but that was all."

"You have any way to prove that Doris?"

She thought for a moment and then said, "I think I do. Your friend Ronny Thomas and his wife were there and I stopped and said hi to them as I was leaving. They can tell you that I left alone and that Mel was still there when I left."

"How do I know that you didn't meet him later? How do I know that you didn't leave alone just to throw my friends off? You know what I'm saying. "I'll leave first Mel so no one sees us leave together. I'll meet you at your place." How do I know that isn't the way it went?"

"God damn it Frank! What do you want? You want me to take a lie detector test? Fine! Set it up and I will do it."

"So tell me Doris; how does it feel to deny that something happened and not be believed?"

"It sucks Frank."

"A minute ago you said that I should know you better than to believe some of what I said. Shouldn't you have known me better also? All the years we have been together and you didn't trust me any more than you did?"

"I'm sorry Frank and looking back from this point I can see that I wasn't being very rational. There was every thing that I knew about the disastrous results that bachelor parties had on people that I knew and I just didn't want you to go. Yes, I should have known you better, but in the back of my mind there was the thought that any man, even a good man, would lose it when exposed to a naked woman willing to take on any one there. When you said that you were going to see that stripper Sunday morning it just confirmed all my fears. All I could think about was Ron leaving his wife and kids and running off with that stripper he met at a bachelor party. I was crushed Frank and you didn't make it any better. When I snapped at you you should have known how I felt. Why didn't you tell me to go with you if I thought you were going to do something wrong? Why didn't you say "Come and see for yourself" instead of taking off and leaving there thinking what I was thinking?"

"So now it is my fault Doris? I'm not buying it. Everything that has happened has been because of your actions. The fact that you pushed and pushed and it finally forced me to get my back up and push back does not make it my fault."

"Can't we just put all this behind us Frank? I love you and I need you with me. Please Frank, take the key and come home" and as she pushed the envelope with the key in it back to me she looked up and said:

"Hi Brenda."

I looked back over my shoulder and saw my favorite stripper standing there. She smiled at me and said:

"Hi Frank."

Doris looked from me to Brenda and then back to me and asked, "You two know each other?"

'Yes" I said, "And I take it that you know each other?"

"Brenda works with me. Actually that isn't really true. I work for her since she is the office manager."

I motioned for Brenda to join us and she sat down next to Doris and opposite me.

"I didn't mean to intrude, but when I came in and saw two of my favorite people sitting together I just had to come over and say hi."

"Frank is one of your favorite people? How is it that you know my husband?"

Brenda looked at me in surprise. "You and Dorie?"

I nodded a yes. The "How do you know my husband" hung in the air between us and my mind went into overdrive. Obviously Doris did not know Brenda worked nights as a stripper which told me that Brenda probably didn't want Doris or anyone else in the office to know so how to answer the question? I really didn't know Brenda or enough about Brenda to chance telling a lie that might easily be seen through so I decided that Brenda was going to have to field the question. I looked at Brenda with what I hoped was "Answer the question" on my face and I guess she caught it or had arrived at the same conclusion I had and decided that it was the way to go.

Brenda laughed and said, "I tried to steal Frank from his wife and he wouldn't give me a tumble. Here I am thinking that I'm one of the most beautiful and sexy women in this state and he wouldn't even let me give him my phone number."

"You tried to steal my husband?"

"I didn't know he was your husband. In fact he was wearing gloves so I couldn't see a ring and so I didn't know he was married. What happened was that Marsha and I were in here for drinks and some stupid idiot who had too much to drink decided that he was God's gift to women and me in particular and he kept trying to get me to dance with him. I kept saying no and he finally got verbally abusive. He said a bunch of really upsetting things and I finally got mad enough to throw a drink in his face. He raised his hand to hit me and Frank just happened to be walking by on his way out and he stepped in, grabbed the guy, subdued him and walked him out the door and into the parking lot. I heard him tell the guy that if he tried to come back in he would hurt him and then stuff him in the dumpster.

"Then he came back in and offered to walk Marsha and me to our cars to make sure that the idiot wouldn't bother us when we left. So there he was. A Knight in Shining Armor doing good deeds for a damsel in distress and he just happened to be an absolute hunk besides so I threw myself at him and he just smiled, said he was glad to help, wished me a good night and left. He did let me buy him a drink the next time I saw him in here, but try as I might that was as far as I was able to get with him. Of course it was probably a good thing he turned me down because Marsha wanted him too and we would have ended up fighting over him and would probably have ended up not being roommates any more."

"Marsha wanted my husband too? I guess I'll have to pour water on her head at work. You get a pass because it wouldn't be smart to screw with the boss."

"Good thinking girlfriend. Now that I see you two together I can see why I couldn't entice him so I don't feel so bad at being turned down."

While we were talking the band was setting up and when their first number started Brenda asked:

"Mind if I dance with my hero?"

I was pretty sure that Doris minded, but I guess she didn't want to say no to her boss so I was not surprised when she said she wouldn't mind. When I took Brenda in my arms to start the waltz I said:

"Nice save Donna, or is it really Brenda?"

"It is Brenda. I don't use my real name when I'm working parties."

"I guess that means that Missy is really Marsha?"

"That's right. Jesus Frank; I had no idea that you were Dorie's husband."