A Fine Mess
It was a long night for Richie, he tossed and turned alone in the bed, up and down all night, and he’d finally given up just before daybreak and drank a pot of coffee. He’d fought off the desire to go into The Glen, to the bar, fought off the desire to get shit-faced drunk at home by himself. And most of all, he’d fought off the desire to go after Toni.
He’d never been good at this, fixing his own shit. It seemed to him like the more he tried the worse it got. His stomach reminded him he hadn’t eaten since lunch the day before; he looked in the fridge and pulled out breakfast. A carton of milk and a bowl of cereal. He left the mess on the table not sure he was going to be able to keep it down. He went upstairs and took a shower and pulled on a pair of sweat pants and a tee shirt. It was after 10:00; maybe she wasn’t going to call at all. He picked up his cell phone and went downstairs to the living room and called her.
“Toni, we need to talk babe.”
“I know we’re almost there.”
“Who’s we?”
“Dad is following me.” Toni pulled into the driveway.
“Why is your Dad coming?” Richie’s stomach knotted up.
“I’m here now. Bye”
He opened the front door and waited. “Hullo Michael.”
“Richie, good to see you.”
Richie wasn’t sure; Toni wouldn’t meet his eyes when she came in.
“Let’s um go into the den, there’ something you need to know Richie and to see.” Toni passed by him and walked down the hall to the den.
“What’s this about?” Richie asked.
“Yesterday when I came home I didn’t tell you where I’d spent the day.”
“You said it was with a friend.”
“It was…I went for a ride on Travis’s boat with him and his nephew. I ran into them at Starbucks and he asked me to come with them and so I did. I hadn’t planned it I didn’t know he was there. We weren’t alone on the boat Tee was there and a three man crew.”
“Oh, you and Travis and Tee…” Richie could feel it starting to burn.
“The thing is there was a photographer, paparazzi guy, maybe more than one I don’t know because we never saw them. He took some pictures of us; the pictures make it look like something it wasn’t Richie. I thought before somebody else showed them to you I would and explain. So I need to bring them up on your computer.” He only stared at her so she turned his computer on and found the pictures. “It’s all lies Richie, all of it.” She stepped back and he moved over and sat in his chair, scrolling through the pictures and articles.
He was about to explode. He turned and looked at her and his look sent her a step back into a bookcase. “And I was worried about buying a girl a drink.” He got up and walked out to the back patio.
Michael stopped her, “Toni…leave him alone for a minute.”
Richie lit a cigarette and paced off the initial urge to do something physical to her. All this shit she’d been laying on him and all the time…fucking Travis McGee. The back door opened and he whirled around it was Michael.
“Richie…”
“How long have you known about this?”
“Since last night when she showed up at my door in tears.”
“I’m not surprised, I saw it at the BBQ, and I have been incredibly stupid and blind. So why are you here, to help her pack or to throw me out.”
“Neither Richie. I don’t believe she’s having an affair with Travis. I do know this; he’s waiting in the wings for you to blow it.”
“It’s already blown, what the hell Michael pictures don’t lie you can’t prove by me she isn’t shagging him. God damn fucking yacht. I can’t compete with that Michael.”
“I don’t think she gives a damn about a yacht. I gave her a little food for thought last night. Give her a little time.”
“She’s had time, a lot of time. Time enough to make a hell out of our life ever since…”
“If you want my opinion and you probably don’t, neither one of you is clean. So keep that in mind Richie before you do anything rash. I suggested she go visit her mother whether she will or not I don’t know.”
“One of us is going somewhere…today.” Richie flicked his cigarette out into the grass.
“Richie,” Michael put his hand on Richie’s chest, “I beg of you don’t do anything you’re going to regret later. Think man there is a lot at stake here.”
“Look Michael, I’ve been crawling around on my knees for weeks and during that time she racked up a two hundred and ninety dollar phone bill calling that bastard in Sydney. Now…tell me there’s not something going on there and all the time on my case. No I’m not clean but I admitted my sins. She’s…she’s acting like …”
“Is that what’s important to you, that she admit something she says is not true, what if it is true, do you want to hear it? What then Richie?”
“If it’s true Michael then we’re done.”
Toni had been standing in the door of the den listening to their raised voices through the open kitchen door. She turned and went upstairs and packed a bag.
