The Six O'clock News Slot

"You see," I said to Lou, gesturing at the billboard, "I can't escape her even here!"

Lou came over and looked at the new sign. "WXYY sure is loving the ratings those two are getting."

Then a strange look came over his face. "I wonder, I wonder," he muttered. Then he turned to me. "How desperate are you to find a way out of this trap you're in?"

"Not so desperate that I'd ever resort to violence," I said.

"No, no, we're not going to commit a crime, at least I don't think we are. But I've got an idea that just might solve your problem."

The two of us sat and talked for the next hour. Several times I told him that he was crazy and that we could never pull it off. I pointed out to him that even if we did, nothing might come of it. I reminded him that if things went badly, Carol would be coming after me for a divorce, and she'd be vengeful as hell.

To all of that, Lou just kept asking, "So how much worse off would you be than you are today?" When I thought about that, I realized two things. First, I was stuck in a position that I absolutely could not bear, at least not for long. Second, I really had no option except to do something truly desperate.

"Okay, Lou, I'm in."

I may have sounded pretty committed when I left the office that afternoon, but second thoughts gripped me as I drove over to Mrs. Alsop's house to pick up Susan. I would be risking losing my daughter if I tried what Lou was suggesting. Would I be wiser just to swallow my pride and live as a cuckold? Doing nothing was the easiest course of action, no doubt about it.

My thoughts – and my stomach – continued to churn as I got Susan home and began preparing dinner. For once I left the tv off; I didn't think I could stand to watch Susan and Ted interacting on the set, especially after what I'd seen a few nights ago.

Just as I was getting Susan ready for bed, I was surprised to hear Carol's car drive up. I knew it wasn't her turn to do the 10:00 news, but I'd figured she'd stick around to be with Ted. Yet here she was, coming in the door, scooping up Susan in her arms and carrying her delighted daughter up to bed. I heard the two of them laughing and giggling as Carol read story after story. The sound brought tears to my eyes: this was the way it used to be at our home before everything turned bad.

When Carol finally came back downstairs, I looked up and said sincerely, "That was sweet of you. She really misses you, especially at bedtime."

"I know," she said, "and I've missed her too." She had a faraway look in her eye that made me wonder if she was having second thoughts about this new lifestyle she'd chosen.

But all such hopes were quickly dispelled in the next minute. The look on Carol's face now reminded me of a mother about to lecture a child on an unpleasant subject.

"Tom, I wanted to come home early tonight so I could tell you about what's on the schedule for next week." She took a deep breath, and then plunged on. "I'm taking the next week off. I've talked with Don Sanchez and he's fine with it. In fact he encouraged me to get a little R and R. He says our ratings are so good we can afford it."

I was pleasantly surprised. A week together might be just the thing to repair our marriage. "I'll have to check with the boss tomorrow, but I think I can get the time off," I said. "What did you have in mind?"

She sighed. "You're not included, Tom. Ted and I are going to get away by ourselves. We're tired of having to sneak around; this is a chance for us to enjoy each other without having to worry about anything else."

I was stunned. I just sat there staring at her, not believing what I was hearing.

She hurried on, "I've already worked things out with Mrs. Alsop. She's going to keep Susan for the whole day next week. All you'll have to do is drop her off on your way to work and pick her up at the usual time."

She reached into her purse and pulled out a sheet of paper which she handed to me. "Here's all the information about where I'll be staying if you need to reach me. I'm sure Susan will be fine, but just in case . . ."

"We're going to be leaving on Friday. Maybe you can take Susan to the park over the weekend' she loves that. We should be back on Sunday week, and everything will be back on the regular schedule."

She looked at me a little uncertainly; I still hadn't said anything. "Okay, well, if you don't have any questions, I'm going to get to bed early tonight." Then, to my utter astonishment, she came over and kissed me on the head like I was a small child. "Thanks for taking care of everything, honey," she said and headed up the stairs.

"Oh, God," I thought, "that had to be the most humiliating experience of my life!" I was literally shaking with anger. There was no doubt in my mind now: I had to do something to reclaim my manhood. Lou's crazy plan suddenly looked like my best option.

On Friday I took off early from work. I wanted to be sure to see Carol before she left for her little getaway with Ted Stevenson. I had already made arrangements with Mrs. Alsop to keep Susan overnight. If there was to be any shouting or cursing, I didn't want Susan exposed to it. I had already checked Carol's closet that morning and found her suitcases, so I knew she'd have to come home to pack. That would give me the opportunity I needed.

When her car pulled up in the driveway, I positioned myself in my favorite chair in the den and waited for her to come in. She opened the door and came looking for me immediately. She knew I was home because she'd seen my car in the garage.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded. "Is Susan okay?"

"She's fine," I said reassuringly. "She's at Mrs. Alsop's."

"Then why are you here?" she asked again.

"I wanted to make one more try at persuading you not to go off with Ted this week," I told her.

She put her hands on her hips in exasperation. "I've already told you, I'm going to go off and have my little fling with Ted Stevenson, and there's nothing you can do about it. Once we come back, it'll all be over and everything can go back to normal. You just need to be patient and give me the chance to get this out of my system."

"But Carol," I whined, "what about our wedding vows? What about 'forsaking all others'?"

"Those wedding vows were written for a different time and place. Nobody believes all that crap anymore," she said with irritation.

"But you're talking about cheating, about committing adultery," I pressed. "I don't want you to dishonor our marriage."

Her impatience and irritation were clearly growing. "Tom, there's no need for us to have this discussion any more. If I want to go off and fuck Ted Stevenson, I'm going to do it, whether you like it or not. This is something I want to do; it doesn't have anything to do with you and me."

But I wouldn't let it go. "But Carol, what about your fans, all the people who watch you every night? You know they wouldn't approve of what you're doing."

I had clearly pushed her too far. "I don't give a good goddam what my fans think. They're nothing but a bunch of boobs and country bumpkins!"

"Listen," she continued, "in six months to a year I'll leave this hick town and land a job in a real city where they don't roll the streets up at night. In the meantime, what the people here think means nothing to me."

"Now please stop pestering me – my mind is made up. I need to go and get packed or I'll be late. And if you can't stand to see me with Ted when he comes to pick me up, I suggest you get out of here now."

I stood up, my shoulders slumping. "I'm sorry, Carol. I'm sorry for everything."

I turned, walked out to my car and headed off to a local tavern. I was shaking, and I needed to relax.

I was nursing my second beer when Lou walked in the door. "Hey, buddy," he said with a grim smile, "how did it go?"

"I don't really know, Lou," I admitted. "I was too close to it. You'll have to come see for yourself."

"Not until I've had one of what you're having," he said firmly.

After he'd finished his beer, we both got into my car and drove back to my house. As I'd expected, Carol was long gone. We went into my den and he sat down at my computer. "When did you buy this thing, in the stone age?" he asked. Nevertheless, with a few keystrokes he was able to do what he wanted.

"Okay," he said, motioning to me, "let's see what we've got."

He pressed another key and Carol's image filled the screen. We listened as Carol flatly rejected my pleas to her to honor her wedding vows and told me exactly what she planned to do with Ted Stevenson. "What a bitch!" I heard Lou murmur under his breath.

Then he listened to Carol explode about her fans and the city where she worked, and Lou's expression turned to glee. "We've got her, man. This is way better than what we hoped for."

When the playback had finished, Lou touched another set of keys and we watched Carol again, but this time from a different angle. "The second camera is important," Lou said. "It gives it greater realism."

When the second playback ended, he arranged to FTP both files to his office. Then he pulled out a thumb drive and made a copy of them. "Backup," he said. Finally, he went to the bookshelf behind my chair and removed the two small cameras we'd set up so carefully that morning.

With that done, we both got in my car and headed back to the tavern so Lou could pick up his car. But when we got there, he surprised me by insisting that I follow him home. "Edy's got a big dinner already fixed, buddy. If you don't show up, she's really going to be pissed."

I'd planned to spend the night alone, but Lou wouldn't hear of it. So I reluctantly fell in behind his car and followed him home. When we came in the door, Edy came up to me, embraced me and kissed me on the cheek, all without saying a word. I wasn't sure whether It was friendship or pity, but I appreciated it either way.

I'm sure dinner was wonderful, but I really don't remember much about it. To be truthful, I just picked at the dishes Edy had prepared while Lou and Edy exchanged concerned glances.

Afterwards, they led me into their den and Lou opened another bottle of wine. We sat around drinking until Edy could no longer contain herself. "I am so angry and disappointed with Carol I don't know what to say. She always seemed so sweet and loving; when did she turn into a selfish slut? It seems like success has changed her and now she thinks she can do anything – and anyone – she pleases."

She turned to Lou abruptly. "Listen, you do whatever you can to help Tom. I don't like to take sides when friends get divorced, but this is different. Carol's gone way over the line here, and we have to help Tom keep his daughter."

She looked at her husband again with a piercing gaze. "And if one of those slutty little models or tv personalities you have to work with comes on to you, you'd better say no, or I'll be coming after your balls with a butcher knife!"

Lou and I both chuckled at Edy's threat, but I wasn't so sure she was exaggerating just to make a point.

We continued to talk and drink into the night, and I finally collapsed on their sofa. I vaguely remember Edy covering me with a blanket and patting me on the arm. The next thing I was aware of was the morning light streaming through their picture window and a terrible taste in my mouth.

Lou loaned me a toothbrush and his razor, and I did my best to make myself half-way presentable. By the time I was finished, Edy already had a big breakfast prepared, so I sat down with them. My appetite was a little better that morning; I guess the instinct for self-preservation had kicked in.

When I had finished and thanked them profusely for their kindness, Lou took my arm. "Listen, Tom, leave everything to me. I've got a lot to do this weekend, and I need to get started. All you need to do is to get Susan and get out of here. I'll keep you posted all the way."

"Lou, I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been here," I said sincerely. With that, I gave him an awkward hug and then headed home. I had one more thing I had to do, and I wasn't looking forward to it.

When I got home, I checked our address book to get Ted and Missy Stevenson's number. When I called, Missy, of course, answered. "Hi, Missy, it's Tom Bailey, Carol's husband. Is it possible for me to come over and speak with you now?"

"Oh, hi, Tom. Yes, I guess that would be fine. Come on by." I could hear the hesitation in her voice; we weren't that close, and I knew she was wondering why I wanted to see her. She'd find out soon enough, I thought grimly.

As I drove over to her house, I tried to plan out what I would say. It isn't easy to tell a woman her husband is cheating on her. The fact that I didn't know Missy all that well made it just that much more awkward. But I felt I couldn't let whatever happened next hit her unawares.

Missy had been at the University of Alabama with Carol and me; she had even been in Carol's sorority. She seemed nice, but she was two years younger than us, so we didn't have many opportunities to interact. I'd been surprised to learn that she had married Ted; frankly, she didn't seem his type. In any case, we had chatted with each other at several station events, but Carol and I hadn't socialized with them otherwise. Except, that is, for Carol and Ted, I added bitterly to myself.

When I arrived, she welcomed me in and offered me refreshments. "Just a glass of ice water, please," I asked. I was afraid my mouth would dry out when I delivered my grim news.

After she had brought me a glass, I took a sip and then set to my task. "Missy, do you know where Ted is?" I asked.

"Sure," she said, "he's gone off to some broadcasters' convention. He'll be gone all week. Why do you ask?"

"Missy, I'm sorry to have to tell you, but Ted isn't at a broadcasters' convention. I've learned that he and my wife have been having an affair, and the two of them have gone off for an intimate getaway down on the coast."

Missy looked at me as though I'd slapped her in the face. "That can't be true," she protested. "I saw him off just yesterday evening." I could tell her mind was going a mile a minute as she shifted arguments. "He loves me, he wouldn't betray me like that." Another denial flashed by: "Carol was like a big sister to me, she wouldn't hurt me that way." Finally, she ran down and just looked at me helplessly. "Oh, Tom, are you sure?"

Grimly, I pulled out my cellphone and played the video I'd shot outside the green room. As she watched their erotic little tryst unfold, her eyes began to redden and then she began weeping. I didn't know what to do, so I sat down beside her, put my arm around her shoulders and began to rub her back gently.

"I know, Missy, I know."

Suddenly she looked up with anger flashing in her eyes. "That bitch seduced him!" she cried. "If you had kept her under control . . ."

But she stopped her tirade when she saw my stricken face. "Oh, Tom, I'm so sorry, I wasn't thinking. You've lost your wife too, haven't you?"

Missy's words brought back all my pain and loss in full strength, and my tears flowed again. We held each other helplessly, seeking some kind of consolation that wasn't there.

Finally we pulled apart. She used a napkin she'd brought with the drinks to wipe her face, and then she asked me, "What are you going to do now?"

I felt that I had no choice but to explain the predicament that Carol had place me in, especially with regard to Susan. Missy, who had no children, immediately realized the leverage Carol had over me, and she grasped my hand in sympathy. "Oh, Tom, I would never have believed she could be that cruel, that cold."

Then she asked me again, "What are you going to do?"

"Missy, I'm definitely going to be filing for divorce, but there are some other things I have to do to try to ensure I don't lose Susan. It's probably better if you don't know what they are, in case somebody asks you about it later."

"You're not going to do any illegal, are you?" she gasped.

"No, but if I'm successful, both she and Ted will wish they'd never chosen to be unfaithful to us." I tried to give her a little smile to reassure her, but I doubt it was convincing.

"And what about you?" I asked. "Do you think you two can repair your marriage?"

"After what you've just showed me? After hearing that this has been going on for heaven knows how long? After learning that he and that slut are spending the week together? There's no way I could stay with him and ever hold my head up again."

"In that case, you may want to use the attorney I've contacted, unless you already have someone you trust," I suggested.

She gave me a wan smile. "No, I don't know anyone to contact. I hadn't exactly planned on needing an attorney."

"If you use my attorney, it may wind up saving you some money. And at least he'll have all the evidence I've got." I handed her a sheet of paper I'd prepared with my attorney's name, address and phone number. "If you'll contact him on Monday and let him know you and I are in this together, he can get your paperwork completed at the same time as mine." She took the information and nodded.

"Missy, now I have an enormous favor to ask you."

"What is it?" she asked nervously.

"All I'm asking is that you say nothing to anyone – not your family, not your closest friend, no one – until you hear from me." I looked right at her. "If you tell anyone, it may cost me my chance to keep Susan."

She looked back at me very solemnly, and I felt she understood. "I won't say a word, Tom. It'll be hard to act like nothing's happened, but I promise."

I thanked her, stood, and headed for the door. "What are you going to do now, Tom?" she asked.

I smiled at her grimly and said, "I'm going to get my daughter and get her out of town until all this blows over."

She wished me good luck, and I did the same to her. "We'll both need it," I thought.

From there, I drove over to Mrs. Alsop's house. When I got there, she must have alerted Susan that I had arrived, because my little girl met me at the door and jumped into my arms. "Did you have a good time, sweetheart?" I asked her.

"Oh, yes, Daddy. I had a sleepover, and we had pancakes for breakfast, and then I played dolls."

Holding Susan in my arms, I thanked Mrs. Alsop for keeping her, and reminded her that Susan wouldn't be coming to her house the coming week. Mrs. Alsop looked at me shrewdly and asked, "Is everything OK, Tom?"

I glanced down at Susan and then back at Mrs. Alsop. "I hope it will be," was all I said.

She nodded and leaned over to kiss Susan on the cheek. "You take good care of that little girl. She's like one of my own. And Tom, I'll be praying for you."

"Thank you, Mrs. Alsop. That means a lot to me."

With that, I carried Susan to the car and put her in the car seat in back. When we got home, Susan began to look for her mother. "Where's Mommy?" she asked me, when she couldn't find her.

I felt my throat tighten as I told her, "Mommy had to go on a trip. But guess what, you and I are going on a trip too."

"Where are we going, Daddy?" she asked excitedly.

"We're going to visit Grandma and Grandpa at the farm!" I told her.

She squealed and began to dance around. Susan loved my parents and she loved to see the animals on their small farm in rural Alabama. "Can we see the ducks and the baby pigs?" she asked.

"Sure, honey," I told her, "and the sooner we get started, the sooner we can see them." Then I grabbed the bag I had already packed for her, along with my own suitcase, and we headed back out to the car. I thought briefly about leaving a note for Carol telling her where we'd be, but I decided against it. "She hasn't been thinking about me very much lately. Why should I think about her?"

It took me a little over an hour to get to Mom and Dad's farm, and Susan slept through most of the drive. But when we turned into their rough gravel driveway, she woke up and began pointing at the horses and cows she could see through the car windows.