Interlude (24 page)

“Mr. Park, may I call you Ian? This may look
like blackmail, but I assure you it's in the best interests of my
client. Your family acted in collusion to defraud him while he was
suffering from an illness that required prescription medication.
Therefore, I am requesting that all outstanding funds, back
payments, and interest be paid by close of business today. Also, I
am requesting sole ownership of the residence to go to Mr. Johnson
as well. If this is not undertaken by the end of today, my final
stop on the way home will be to drop this paperwork off at the
District Attorney's office. Are we clear?” She said firmly, adding,
“I have written up the divorce papers, as well as all the other
forms needed to make it so you don't go to jail. All you two have
to do is sign on the dotted lines. Oh Alice? You'll have up to
three months to vacate the property in question. You can make other
arrangements with Mr. Johnson if he so chooses.” Susie watched them
read and sign every form, and then got up to leave. Cal stood up to
see her out. He was numb. This woman, in a matter of only twenty
minutes, had just destroyed Alice's family. Their financial
planning firm was gone. Alice was technically homeless, and they
would all be flat broke by the end of the day. Susie paused right
outside the door and smiled broadly at him.

“That was fun! Karen wanted me to protect
your interests, and I think I did a pretty good job. I now
pronounce you, divorced!” She said with an odd laugh. Cal gave her
a polite smile as she turned to walk out. He could hear murmuring
behind him as Alice and her team was getting ready to leave. Alice
stormed over to him and slapped him. Hard. For such a petite
person, she really packed a wallop. Cal held his reddening cheek
and stood there quietly while she spoke. Her little face was red
with rage.

“How could you? It wasn't bad enough that you
cheated on me! You had to ruin my whole life too? Why would you do
this? You used to love me!” Her words became a jumble of ragged
sobs as she pushed her face into his chest. She pounded her balled
fists on him lightly as her father gently pulled her off. His
father in law used to be the most aloof and condescending person
Cal had ever known, but now he was just a broken shell of a man as
he pulled Alice into his embrace.

“We'll have a check sent via courier to your
legal counsel by the end of the day.” He said quietly. He left with
Alice under his arm as their legal team gathered their things.

Cal shuffled out to his car in a shell
shocked state. He had never seen something as brutal as what he
just witnessed. He was hoping to just get a fifty/fifty split of
his new earnings, not level her entire existence. He sat in his
car, the engine humming quietly as he willed himself to drive. To
do anything. He was now divorced, a millionaire, and in love with a
dangerous woman. She had set this up. This wasn't to ensure his
best interests were seen to. This was pure, burning vengeance,
planned by the girl he loved. He was so confused. He felt lost,
angry, sad. It was just too much to process. He pulled out his
phone and called Karen. If anything just to hear her voice. He
needed answers. After a few rings she picked up.

“Hey baby! Are you a free man now?” She joked
brightly.

“How could you do that?” Cal asked her
quietly.

“Do what sweetie?” She said. Her voice held a
bit of feigned innocence that seemed sort of scary.

Cal exploded. “You know what! You sent that
lawyer to completely wreck my ex-wife’s entire existence. That was
uncalled for. They're gonna be broke! Alice is basically homeless
now! Why did you do that?” He sat there as his voice reverberated
in the hot car. After a long silence, Karen finally spoke. Her tone
of voice chilled him to the bone. The words she spoke did not match
her cheery disposition.

“Babe, I know you feel bad about what just
happened, but it was in your best interests. Those people were
horrible to you the whole time you were married to that woman. I
remember all the messages that we would exchange. How I longed to
be with you, and how she was the one who was preventing that. All
the time I was aching for your touch, she was neglecting you like
an abused dog. I wanted her to pay for that. For what she did to
you,” She paused, adding, “I love you, and I protect who I love.
Just like you did… You had no problem jumping in front of a gun for
me at Kyle's house. I needed to repay you. I wanted the people who
hurt you to hurt just as bad. Now, we get to sit back and watch
them suffer.” Her cheery voice did nothing to hide the sadistic
nature of her emotions.

“I stopped that thug from hurting you because
it was a snap decision. This was planned out.” He said.

Karen's tone never changed. She was still
upbeat and jovial when she said, “Sometimes these things need to be
planned.” She tried to change the subject. “I have good news! I'm
on my way back! I'll see you this evening if all goes well.” She
said.

Cal processed everything slowly. It was as if
time itself had begun to move slower. He was stuck in her reality
distortion field. She had a power over him that he couldn't deny.
“It'll be good to see you again babe.” He said finally. He was just
tired now, and the thought of her touch was the only thing worth
looking forward to for the time being.

Karen made smooching noises on her side of
the call. “You too sweetie! See you later!” She hung up, and Cal
sat in the heat for a while. He looked at the card Susie had given
him. He decided to call her and have her draft the papers to gift
the house to Alice. The financial stuff was out of his hands, but
he could at least give her the place she helped make a home.

Cal drove back to Santa Barbara. He tried his
best to clear his mind as the coastline rolled by. The weather was
nice. His phone buzzed, but he ignored it until he got to his
little mom and pop grocery store down on State Street. While he was
wandering the isles he got a call from Jeremy.

“Hey man! What happened at the hearing? My
old lady is freaking out because Alice won't leave. She's been here
babbling about how you had some lawyer wipe out her dad's company.
And how did you manage to get the house! That never happens! You
are one cold dude, my friend.” He blurted in a long stream. He
seemed more in awe than mad.

“Hey Jeremy. Well, to make a long story
short, Karen sent down her wickedly good lawyer to protect my
interests.” Cal said making air quotes with his fingers as he
roamed the produce isle. “I guess the lawyer had some kind of
killer defense that Alice's team wasn't ready for.” He said. Cal
thought to himself for a minute. “Hey Jeremy, is Alice there now?”
He asked.

“Yeah, she's pretty upset man. Wait, you
don't want to talk to her do you?” He asked in astonishment. “Dude,
not a good idea man,” He said.

“Just put her on Jeremy.” Cal said. He waited
as his friend made muffled noises on the other line. Then, there
was a long silence punctuated by an occasional sniffle.

“Hello?” She said. Her voice was hoarse from
crying.

“Hey Alice,” Cal said calmly.

She sniffled once more. “What do you want?”
Her voice held no anger. She just seemed sad. Her tone of voice was
even bringing him down! He tried to find his original
conviction.

“Alice, I want you to have the house.” He
said evenly.

“Fine,” She whispered. “Am I supposed to
thank you or something?” She growled at him.

“No, I just feel really bad about how things
went today. The lawyer wasn't my decision.” He said as he struggled
for words.

Alice's emotions changed at the revelation
that this had been planned by his girlfriend. “What do you mean it
wasn't your decision? Do you mean it was your rich girlfriend's
decision?!” She said, her voice rising again. “Maybe you can just
keep the house and live in it with her!” She finished.

Cal closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of
his nose. He didn't want to do this with her. Not in public, and
especially not in his favorite store. This little grocery store had
come to be his sanctuary in this new, odd life. “She already has a
nice, big house of her own.” Ooh, it was out before he knew what
he'd said. Crap!

“Well, it's good to know you'll be sitting
pretty. I hope you have fun with your new cum dumpster you
asshole!”

Cal winced as she yelled in his ear. He
exhaled loudly and gave an apologetic shrug to the woman at the
deli counter. He made polite conversation with her as he made his
selections from the glass case. His numb state was comforting for
the time being. It acted as an emotional band-aid against all the
crap he went through today.

His drive back up to the house was pleasant,
as he watched the setting sun in his rear view mirror. He finally
felt at ease when he made it through the gate and up to Karen's
house. Up at the top, he saw her Mercedes. She must have made it
home early. He thought. Then, he saw a tan rental car. Puzzled by
this, he suddenly realized he had forgotten his meeting with Barry!
Slapping his forehead, he parked by the stone walkway and loaded
the groceries into his arms. As he walked to the front door, he
could hear Karen's voice. She was talking with Barry as Cal made
his way inside. It was just nice to hear her voice. As he rounded
the corner, Barry gave him a polite wave, and Karen smiled warmly
at him and looked him up and down quickly. He just now realized he
was still wearing his suit.
Chicks dig suits?
He thought to
himself.

“You didn't have to get dressed up on my
account.” Barry joked. He was wearing a dress shirt and jeans. Cal
had only met him once before in person, but he was a classic Dot
com businessman. His light brown curly hair was always an unruly
mess, and his clothes never seemed to fit his slightly chubby frame
right. Cal had liked him straight away. He was always kindhearted
and approachable, which also led to the fact that he dated. Alot.
He was always nabbing girls way out of his league because of his
disarming ways. It was this fact that led him to be suspicious of
him being here alone with Karen.

Cal set the loaded paper bags on the counter
and stuck out his hand. “Hey Barry, I'm sorry I forgot our meeting
this afternoon. It's been a rough day.” Cal apologized.

“So I've heard! Your lovely girlfriend filled
me in on the gory details.” Hope your ex-wife didn't ream you too
bad.” He laughed.

Cal's attention had drifted from Barry to
Karen. She was still wearing her business clothes; a black silk
top, a tan skirt that stopped above the knee, nylons and her maroon
colored heels that were seven inches long. He watched her as Barry
made the remark about his ex. Karen's look sort of scared him. She
giggled quietly, her lips turning up into a confidential smile that
ended up looking sinister. While she put away the groceries, Cal
watched her hands as she gracefully reached up into the cabinets
and the back of the refrigerator. Her long torso and sculpted limbs
put on an unknowing show as she found spots for everything. Cal
noticed that Barry was watching her also, and cleared his
throat.

Barry startled out of his gaze and got back
to business. “Anyhoo, I just wanted to drop off your paycheck in
person and put new faces to names. I'll be flying back on the red
eye tonight, so we can just go over some quick issues before I
go.

“Won't you please stay for dinner?” Karen
asked with a smile.

Barry tried to dismiss himself politely. “Oh,
I wouldn't want to be an imposition.” He said

“It's no trouble! Cal's been teaching me how
to cook, and I need new victims, er I mean tasters!” She joked
amiably.

Cal smiled to himself. It was good to have
his usual Karen back, and not the one that enjoyed destroying lives
and families. “It'll be good to have you. Karen actually doesn't
give herself due credit, she's coming along nicely in her culinary
abilities.” He said.

As Barry made himself at home out on the
patio, Cal helped Karen prepare a seared tilapia with red wine
sauce and rice. His anger and apprehension from before seemed to
melt away as he chopped and cooked with her in the kitchen. He
tried to rationalize his previous anger as Karen playfully grazed
his body with accidental touches, and the occasional reach around.
She finally spoke up to break his internalized stresses.

“Penny for your thoughts, you’re awfully
quiet babe.” She asked him as she bumped his hip with hers.

Cal smiled sincerely and sighed. “It's just
been a big, awful day today. I'm glad you're back. How did the tank
selling go?” He asked confidentially.

“Pretty good,” She said. “We had a former
contact who accidentally routed the shipment to the Czech Republic,
so once that was taken care of I dashed back here. I missed you
hon.” She said, giving him her customary cheerful smile, adding, “I
can't wait to get you alone.”

Cal gave her a big smile as he plated their
food and went out to the patio. Barry was ever the charming guest,
regaling Cal and Karen with his tales of excitement as a tech
businessman. Karen and Cal sat across from him and felt each other
up under the table like horny teens. Barry went over some changes
that he wanted Cal to do, and also took the opportunity to offer
Cal a position at his firm. Cal politely deflected the offer, and
said they could discuss terms later in the week. His woeful day
seemed to finally be behind him as Barry made his exit later that
evening.

As Cal closed the front door, He placed his
forehead on it and exhaled loudly. He could hear Karen walking up
behind him, as those impossibly long heels clicked on the floor.
Her arms encircled him as she put her head on his shoulder. Hands
slowly massaged his ab muscles as she gave her own tired
exhalation.

“So, what inspired you to demolish my
ex-wife’s family?” Cal finally asked. He didn't have any anger or
emotion towards it anymore; he just wanted to know for the sake of
curiosity.