Yes, Dear Ch. 03

He kind of frowned when we told him we were living together, but the possessive way I was holding him made it clear we weren't going to be separated. The wedding was getting closer and I was a bundle of nerves.

I finally spent time with the Irish side of the family. My ears rang and my head hurt for two days. And I thought the Italians were loud and could drink!

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

The big day was here. I was a nervous wreck. Gina told me Brain looked like he would pass out any minute.

My Mom and Dad came a few days early and met the family. All Mom could say was "well, they certainly are passionate."

"And loud" chimed in Dad, breaking into a grin, then holding his head. He and Uncle Sean hit it off right away. When they found out my grandmother was from Irish stock, they adopted him instantly. I wish she was still alive to see it.

Mom, Aunt Rita, Nonna, and Gina were putting the finishing touches on.

"Cry and mess up your makeup, and I'll have Brian spank you!" declared Nonna, her own eyes brimming with tears.

They broke into gales of laughter when I quipped,

"And that's supposed to be a threat?"

Finally it was time.

St. Angelo's was a big church. I almost fainted to see it was full. I suddenly felt serene, and felt like I was floating down the aisle.

Rita and Uncle Sean assumed their rightful role as parents of the groom. Aubrey was matron of honor, my other two supporters from work and Gina, along with three more cousins, were bridesmaids.

Mike had a few of his friends as ushers, filling out the number with more cousins.

My boss was there, sitting in the family section of the bride. Harold, my old doorman, was sitting in the back, smiling hugely. Mr. and Mrs. Carrelli were in town on business and surprised us by showing up. The rest of the church was packed with family and friends.

The service was beautiful, steeped in history and tradition. Everyone was solemn, except Nonna, who was crying openly. She was the first one I hugged after the service.

I don't remember much about the reception. Both sides of the family was vying to see who could be the loudest, and who could consume the most beer and wine. Gina said they were still trying to party at four, when the hotel threw them out.

We slipped off at one thirty, made love until three, and barely made our seven o'clock flight.

Where did we honeymoon? Italy, of course. Three days in Verona, where the Italian side threw their own reception. I remember thinking if the American side got together with with the Italian side, they would be arrested instantly for violating noise ordinances. Mr. Carrelli and his wife had a condo in Monte Carlo, and we spent the rest of the time there as his guests.

We went to the casinos, and I asked Brian how much we could gamble. He gave me a thousand euros and told me to go ahead, he'd used up all the luck he was ever going to have when he got me. I almost raped him on the spot.

I didn't have any idea what I was doing, and we ended up at the roulette wheel, where I bet it all on black, won, let it ride, won again, moved it to red, and won there. I stopped, almost seven thousand euros ahead. I spent it on gifts for the family.

I surprised Brian on the last day by slipping out and getting a tattoo, a small heart with an arrow through it, with our initials and wedding date. I was just above my hairline.

"It's a property patch", I told him. He went to the same shop and got it tattooed on his right shoulder. I still get misty eyed when I see him outside without a shirt.

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

For three months we were gloriously happy. Brian earned his degree and had an interview lined up with one of the most prominent architectural firms in the city.

My success with the Italian/German situation brought me more assignments with international firms. My star continued to rise.

Then, everything came crashing down, all because of a bitter, spoiled bitch.

Karen Eckles had been in Europe for three months,

vacationing[read detoxing]and only learned about our marriage a month after she got back.

She still harbored feelings for Brian, the one that got away. Nobody left her until she was done with him. She called unexpectedly, asking for Brian. I didn't recognize her voice and thought it may be over his interview, so I got him to the phone.

I wasn't really listening until I heard him raise his voice, a rarity.

"NO! I'm married now, Karen. Very happily. She's beautiful, kind, and most importantly faithful. You could learn a lot from her. I'm going to hang up now. I wish you a good life, please don't call again."

He got off the phone, still ranting.

"The nerve of that bitch. She wanted me to come and meet her so she could convince me to get back together with her. I told her I was married and she laughed, saying she could offer me more."

I could feel my temperature rise. That bitch! Boy, was she gonna get an earful! Brian calmed me down.

"Don't let it bother you, honey. I'm not gonna let it bother me. I'm actually grateful to her, if she hadn't got caught I would have married her and ended up miserable before getting a divorce.

It let me be free when I met you."

"And I'll tell you something else, even though it's not smart to talk about exlovers with your wife. She was wild in bed, almost manic. But the love wasn't there and subconsciously I could feel it. I get more satisfaction sitting on the couch snuggling with you than I got with her on her best night."

"I hope this swells your head a bit, because you're the best lover I ever had, ever. She would kill for your skills. But that's not why. It's because we love each other, and that makes it perfect."

We retired early that night.

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

I may have added fuel to her fire, because every time we were around her at an event, I hung on him like wallpaper, and showered him with public affection. She tried several times to cut him out of the herd, but I was right there to thwart her.

Finally she made a mistake and propositioned him right in front of me.

She was several inches taller than me without heels, and she favored ridiculously high heels. She stood in front of us, towering over me.

"Really, Brian, when are you going to stop playing with little girls and come back to a real woman?"

I would have slapped the hell out of her if he would have let go of my hand. But he held me tight and grinned at her. Damn him for being so strong!

"What do you know about real women, Karen? You've got one in front of and don't even recognize it.

You're still a spoiled little rich girl. Try growing up, you might like it and be a lot happier. I don't love you , Karen, looking back I don't think I ever did. I love my wife, deeply. Find someone else, and try be an adult. I'm sure you'll be happier."

Well. Guess he told her.

She went almost purple, but before she could explode her friends pulled her away to save her from further embarrassment. Brian didn't see me because he was still watching her, so I stuck my tongue out at her.

Mrs. Mature, that's me.

She plotted, she schemed. She decided if he wouldn't leave me she'd find a way to drive him away. Unfortunately, if your father has more money than God, you can afford to investigate someone in detail.

It took her about two months until she stumbled onto my secret.

In a fit of glee she called Brian and told him. Imagine her surprise when he told her knew and didn't care. She tried to pressure him, threatening to expose me.

"It would be a dirty thing to do, Karen. You really think that if you're capable of doing this it would make me want you? Do your worst bitch. It won't matter."

She got me fired.

She took her findings to the CEO of my company, saying she was going to have her father, who did business with many of our clients, put the word out about their dubious hiring practices. Her father knew nothing of this, but the CEO panicked.

He called my boss and demanded he fire me. Surprised, he asked why.

"She worked for us under false pretenses. For God's sake, she was a man wearing a dress! Think of our reputation."

My boss warned him.

"Be careful here. We have no grounds for dismissal. She has an exemplary record. She's been our star for four years. The clients love her. This is murky ground, don't expose the company to legal action, consider the options."

"I want her gone! The way you talk, it makes me think you knew."

My boss stunned him by saying he had known for a few years.

"You knew! Why didn't you get rid of her then?"

"What would it accomplished? She was the best we had at what she does. You're the one who promoted her, afraid she would go elsewhere. And she came to me when she found out she was being considered, and told me. That took a lot of guts, but she was thinking of the company. That alone would have made me support her. It's ancient history now, she's had the surgery, and she's married now. I urge you strongly to rethink this, get a legal opinion."

He bulled ahead, and fired me for falsifying my job application, and for having the surgery using the company insurance fraudulently.

It got ugly. I was ashamed to show my face at the restaurant. Aunt Rita came to the house, demanded I come back to the cafe with her.

"Get your head out of your ass. Don't you think we knew? Nonna figured it out the first time she met you. We were a little skeptical, almost told Brian. Nonna said no, you were special, it would all work out. It did. We love you, idiot. You're one of us, and we don't leave our family alone when they're under attack. If nothing else, do it for Nonna. She misses you terribly."

I went, shaking as I stepped in the door. Service came to a standstill and the place went almost silent. I turned to run out when Gina grabbed me, hugging me tightly.

"You poor girl! I can't imagine what you're going through, but you're not alone. We love you. Now, wine?"

And just like that, I was back. The workers and many of the patrons I had come to know over the last year and a half hugged me, shook my hand, or patted me on the back. It didn't matter what I had been, I was Brian's wife now, and that was enough.

Brian was catching a lot of grief at work, construction guys aren't known for being open minded. He came home one day with a black eye and a few bruises. He told me he fell off a scaffold.

I knew better, he had gotten into a fight over me. I cried when he went to sleep, thinking of the misery I was causing him.

I finally got mad and decided to fight back. I called Aubrey.

"Girl, I'm so pissed at your I could scream. Your replacement is an idiot, even for a man. He's alienating customers left and right. They're starting to complain. You could have told me you know, I would have still loved you."

I wept silent tears when I asked her to connect me to my old boss.

"He's gone, baby. They forced him out because of you. He didn't mind leaving, he was disgusted with the whole bunch, but he did squeeze them a little and got a nice retirement package."

Retired? He was only fifty two.

I called his cell phone.

"I wondered when you were gonna call. Pissed off enough yet to strike back?"

More than enough. I apologized for costing him his job.

"Please! The joy kind of went out of it when they ran you off. I was bored anyway. Now, want to fade away nicely, or fuck'em hard?"

I thought for three seconds.

"Hard. In the ass, with no lube. And believe me when I share this with you, it hurts, a lot."

He had already talked it over with a friend of his, one who loved controversy and publicity.

The fact that I had a good case had him salivating.

When we filed a lawsuit against the company for discrimination and wrongful termination, for twenty million dollars, shit hit the fan.

The full board didn't have all the details, and when they came out the CEO and two of his cronies were on the hot seat.

It never went to court, but the action in the conference room was interesting.

They fired back, saying they would out me if I persisted.

"Out her how? You've already done that. She's happily married to a guy who knew what she was before he married her. Think he's going to leave her? Especially now, when she's looking at some serious money? Her parents have known for years, and his family now knows and most of them still accept her. How can you hurt her?"

"We can make it hard for her to get another job."

My lawyer waved his hands dismissively.

"She already has another job, and they know all the details of her life. Next bluff?"

They didn't have one.

"All right then. Let's discuss the wrongful termination."

"The termination stands" fired back one of their team of lawyers, "she put female down on her resume when she was in fact male. That's falsification."

He grinned, a look that somehow reminded me of a wolf. Glad I had him and not then.

"All right, let's talk about it. I have affidavits from her doctors since she was twelve years old. They concluded that except for some physical aspects she was fully and emotionally female. She was certified female in her home state sixteen years ago. All her drivers licenses have bee gotten as a female. All her tax returns have been filed as a female. The state and federal governments have recognized her as female, wanna argue with them? I have a letter from the IRS stating that with her certification they have no problem recognizing her as a woman, as long as she pays her taxes."

"And let's not forget that her immediate supervisor knew she was transsgender for at least three years, and still approved her promotion and has given her consistently good reviews in her job performance, something he is more than willing to testify to in court."

The CEO saw a lost cause and tried another tactic.

"All right. Forget that for a moment. She still used her insurance fraudulently. Sex change operations are not covered. She took time off under false pretenses."

His lawyers were trying to keep him quiet.

By now my lawyer's smile looked like a snarl.

"Let's talk about that then. She took four weeks of vacation time and two weeks of sick leave, again with approval from her supervisor. She paid for the surgery out of her own pocket. The two week sick leave was legitimate under you own company policy. Your own daughter took two weeks off to have her nose reshaped and have breast augmentation. You signed off on her sick leave yourself. The only insurance my client used was the short term disability policy she paid for as a suppliment to your standard policy. It was well within company policy for her to use it."

He paused, out of breath.

"Wanna admit defeat now? I hope not, I'll get some killer exposure out of this."

They asked for another week to respond.

"Three days. We file on the fourth. Good day gentlemen. You too, Mr. Scott."

Scott was the CEO, and he colored at the slight.

The next meeting was subdued. They offered a million if we would just go away.

"A million? We're suing Mr. Scott personally for two. See you in court, counselors."

They begged for another day. My lawyer snapped his briefcase closed.

"This is Thursday. I'm filing the papers Tuesday. You have until noon Monday to tender your final offer."

We sailed out of the offer and he collapsed in laughter when we got into the elevator.

"Did you see the lead counselor? I seriously thought he was gonna piss his pants."

Brian grinned a little.

"It was fun, but the money doesn't matter. Making it right does."

Mr.Kincaid, the lawyer, gave him a little lecture.

"To guys like these, money is all that matters. That and adverse publicity. That's how you hurt them. In the pocketbook and the press."

Behind the scenes, he had leaked a letter to several gay, lesbian, and transsgender rights groups, and they were up in arms. They hadn't got around to actually picketing, but they were blogging and flooding the home office with protest letters and emails.

They called Friday, and we met Monday at nine.

"Three million, you sign saying it ends and you'll never speak of it again. We are required by law to offer you your job back, but offer the money in lieu of employment. Take it or leave it."

Mr. Kincaid snapped his briefcase closed. I had learned it was a sign of anger.

"See you in court. And by the way, the gay, lesbian, and transsgender alliance is at the courthouse now, getting a protest permit. Might want to get to work a little early tomorrow to avoid the crowds."

The called at eleven forty five. Four and a half million and termination of the CEO. We took it.

"They don't really have to fire the CEO."

Money makes you more forgiving. Mr. Kincaid smiled.

"Yes they do, to save face and send a message. Don't feel sorry for him, he brought it on himself. You're rich now, take me to lunch."

I laughed.

"No way, Jose. I just made you a million in fees, we go Dutch."

Word got back to Karen's dad of the shitstorm she stirred up. He was unhappy. Very unhappy. He sent her back to Europe on a strict allowance and told her if she needed more she damn well better find a job. It shouldn't be too hard with that degree he bought her. Haven't heard a word out of her since. She was quieter and more mature, married a stockbroker. He divorced her a year later when he caught her cheating. She's up to number four now.

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

They called my old boss and offered him the CEO position. He declined.

"I'm happy where I am now. No, I don't think you've ever heard of them. I'll send you a card, they're new. Kelso and Campbell, Merger and Acquisition Consultants."

That's right, we formed our own company. Quite successful as it turned out. Our core customers came from our old company, led by Mr. Carrelli and Herr Clausman.

We raided them, taking the best of the bunch.

Aubrey came on board as office manager, with her own assistant.

Brian opened his own firm, hiring some experienced, talented people and specializing in midsized office buildings. He had a construction arm that did a lot of their work. He didn't touch my money, using the life insurance monies from his late parents.

He makes sure he's got a flexible schedule so he could travel with me, especially to Europe. We own a small villa just outside Verona. We don't get to spend a lot of time there, but it never sits empty. One or other of the family is always there. I lost my new assistant Betty to a local, so I set up a small office there and let her run it for me. Mr. and Mrs. Carrelli consider me a granddaughter by association.

Nonna is eighty now, this will probably be her last trip back home, but she insisted she be there to brag about her newest great grandchildren.

Two boys and a girl. Our oldest is eleven now and is heavily into sports. The twins are eight, she is showing musical talent and he's considered a math prodigy. All true siblings, their parent died in a car crash when the twins were three. They all speak fairly fluent Italian.

I have to go now, little Maria[her name when I got her, I felt it was a sign]and I have to go to the cafe to help with lunch. Brian and the boys are coming later, after hearing the same lecture they heard for years about being nicely dressed and minding their manners.

There it is, the story of how I fell in love.

Oh, and before I forget, so far, we've lived happily ever after.

I made a mental note to eat more salad and a little less pasta when I got to the cafe, trying to keep my weight the same as when we got married. Allison is sixteen now, a beautiful girl. She follows Brian around at the neighborhood parties, reminding him he's still supposed to marry her when she turns eighteen, if he's unattached. She smiles when she says it, but I don't like the way she looks at me when he's not paying attention.