Picked the Wrong Woman

Donna lent Amanda some clean clothes and we all dressed. We took the contract and Amanda's contact info with us. I left a key to the cabin with Amanda and authorized her to hire a cleaning crew to clean the place during the week.

Sandy and Donna kissed her good-bye and I got a peck from her. Five minutes later we were all on the road.

At the bottom of the mountain Donna called Sandy's cell and said, "I need a lawyer." Sandy put the call on speaker.

Sandy said, "I know one. His office is next door to the building where I work. When we get home I'll can him for you."

"When are you telling Brad?" I asked.

"He'll figure it out when he sees my stuff is gone and he's served."

"Wrong." I said. "Brad isn't a bad man. He didn't do or say anything he doesn't believe is best. He doesn't deserve to be slam dunked. Go home. Make a nice dinner and when he's full and calm tell him you want more from marriage that he gives."

"He'll want to know what I want that he doesn't provide."

"Tell him. Be calm." I said.

Sandy said, "Don't say you want what Pete and I give you. Say you want orgasms given in love and affection. Tell him you believe sex is for procreation and enjoyment and you know he doesn't."

"Be packed and ready to leave before he comes home. Have your suitcases in your car. When the conversation is over, leave."

"God, this will hurt him so badly."

"Maybe it will break him out of his belief about oral sex, about right and wrong about sex?"

"Not a chance. Being right is more important to him than anything."

When we got home Donna called again and said she was packing. She wanted to know if we could come by and take some things after we met with the police. We agreed to call her when we left the station.

Mr. Hall had already made a plea agreement. The detective showed us some of the evidence that had sunk his ship. Seemed the detective in St. Louis had kept digging after Mr. Hall had left town. When word got out in L.A. that he was under investigation in St. Louis three other women came forward and told their stories. When confronted with the evidence he collapsed.

We would not need to appear in court. We got the names of the other women who had come forward and thanked the police for making him go away.

We stopped by Donna's and loaded our SUV with lots of her stuff. We didn't linger. Brad would be home soon.

A messenger was sitting on our porch when we drove into our driveway. He had a request from the lawyer representing the other women. Inviting us to join their suit against the company. We called them and joined the suit.

Three weeks later Mr. Hall spoke in court. He named names and told who at the company had helped cover his tracks and transferred him to L.A.. He also told what it was that he held over them to get their cooperation. The CFO of the St. Louis office was skimming money.

Two days later the company offered each woman a structured settlement of twenty thousand a year for ten years. A week later they upped the offer to a hundred thousand a year for twelve years. We accepted.

Mr. Hall picked the wrong woman when he picked Sandy. I picked the right woman, twice. Donna is going with us to Hedo next month. We're staying a week and I think all our clothes will fit in one suitcase.

We'll see about Amanda.