by Bella Juarez
* * * *
When Reese got up the next morning, he fully expected Victoria to tell him there was no way in hell she would put up with Maggie for basically the next two years. So he dressed and went downstairs prepared to hear the worse. The closer he got to the kitchen, the more prevalent was the smell of a wonderful breakfast waiting just for him. I’m going to miss that.
Reese walked into the kitchen and saw everything was prepared for him. Victoria was a quick learner. He considered how he could have used her at work. He briefly wished she had some administrative skills and spoke English because his office was looking for a new administrative assistant. It was nice to work with someone who did their job as instructed.
“Good morning, Victoria.”
“Good morning, sir.”
Reese sat down and ate something that reminded him of his mom’s Sunday breakfast, frittata. If it weren’t for the Spanish, Reese would have sworn this girl was Italian. A trait that would have made his mom proud. Too bad I didn’t take her advice and marry a nice Italian girl. Reese recalled how his mother had warned him about Maggie…Another lesson, listen to your mother, not your dick.
As Reese was finishing breakfast, Victoria sat down at the other side of the table. He could tell she wanted to say something. He took a sip of his coffee and looked at her. He knew what was coming and he didn’t blame her one bit. Her nervous body language was already a bad sign. She looked down at her hands and took a deep breath.
“Do you want to tell me something, Victoria?” Reese asked.
“Yes, sir. I’ve made a decision about staying while you are gone.”
“Okay.”
“I’ve decided to stay.”
* * * *
The relief on Major Thompson’s beautiful face was evident. He knew his wife better than Victoria and had fully expected her to quit. She had wrestled with her decision all night. She was determined and had even practiced exactly how she would break it to him. She couldn’t believe she heard herself say something entirely different when she saw Major Thompson. It was almost scary how he affected her with just a look.
He’s married…
“Thank you, Victoria. That’s a big relief for me and one less thing I have to worry about,” Major Thompson said.
Victoria smiled and returned to her chores. She made the major’s tumbler of coffee and set it by his keys as he finished at the table. He left shortly after, and she sat down and wondered what kind of situation she had just committed herself to. Mrs. Thompson would be most of the work she would be doing. One thing was for sure. Major Thompson wouldn’t be here to see all his wife’s shenanigans. Maybe all of it would slow down once he left. Maybe he’ll come to his senses…Yeah, right. There was only so long she could fool herself.
* * * *
Four months came and went and soon Victoria was watching Mrs. Thompson drive her husband to the base for his departure. In just a few days Mrs. Thompson’s mother had literally moved in with her daughter and they were coming and going all of the time. When they were home, it was nonstop work. When they were gone, there was lots of down time. She managed her schedule and started writing and researching her thesis.
A couple of months after the major left, it was clear they were up to something. In fact, Mrs. Thompson’s father had even come down and spent some time. It was interesting, Victoria noted, that the major was still paying all the bills and supporting all of his wife’s expensive habits. The longer she stayed, the more she despised Maggie Thompson.
Right before Major Thompson was scheduled to come home, Mrs. Thompson packed her bags and handed Victoria a large manila envelope and instructed her to give it to the major when he got home. Victoria was outraged. Even though Mrs. Thompson said nothing about the contents, she could guess what was in that envelope. Mrs. Thompson was putting her in a hell of a spot. It would be easy to leave that envelope on the counter and move out before the major came back. But she had given the major her word that she would stay until he returned. She wrestled with the thought for a few days. She had marked the major’s return on a calendar in her room and she knew time was running out. She had to make a decision soon.
One early fall evening, the phone rang at the house.
“Thompson residence,” Victoria answered.
“Who’s this?” an agitated voice demanded.
“You have reached the Thompson residence, with whom do you wish to speak?” Victoria responded.
“This is Major Thompson and you’re at my house. Where’s my wife?” he demanded.
“Major? Mrs. Thompson is gone,” Victoria said
“I’m at Dulles, you tell her to come and pick me up. International Terminal,” Major Thompson said shortly and then hung up.
He doesn’t know? How could he not know? Victoria was horrified. Time was up and Victoria found herself in the middle of something she had no business being involved in. Maggie Thompson was by far the most repulsive creature she had ever known. Major Thompson did not deserve what was about to happen to him. He was a good man and, from what she had seen, a saint for putting up with all of his wife’s crap. Maggie would never find another one like him. She grabbed her keys, the manila envelope, and started for Dulles, where a very angry Major Thompson waited.
Chapter Three
Reese was finally going home. It had been a bloody eighteen months. He now understood why General Petraeus had decided to do a secret push ahead of the well-publicized Surge in The War on Terror. The rebels in Iraq had regrouped and were making some serious headway. This unadvertised war would not be something people back home would be able to handle. People back home had seen American bodies drug through the streets of Fallujah and burned as they hung on a bridge.
What the general western world didn’t know was all journalists had been evacuated for their “safety” and the Marines had gone back in and kicked some major ass. The decent people of Fallujah and Najaf were leaving in droves or being harassed to the point of physical harm. Special operations forces had been sent in first to fight an ugly war. Coming home, Reese considered if Petraeus could stay on course and not have the politicians fuck with him, the coalition forces could get Iraq straight and get out of there in a couple of years.
Reese was taking a commercial flight from Europe. He had tried calling Maggie several times when he was in Germany but kept getting her voicemail. Reese was starting to get worried. He managed some sleep while the flight was crossing over the Atlantic. Reese considered what he would do with the four weeks of leave coming to him as soon as he got back home. He thought about how to fix things with Maggie. Maybe he would relent and take her on that cruise she wanted to go on. It would give them some time to reconnect and hopefully come to an understanding.
Reese knew he needed the leave to adjust to civilized society. He had been through this drill many times. He knew that when service members had been in battle constantly for a long period of time they got a whole new attitude on life. When they came home they needed to be reconditioned. They needed to understand that people around every corner were not trying to kill them and were not targets. They needed a restful night’s sleep, without RPGs and mortar attacks. When warriors got home they were still in a survival mindset. It took a while to get past the nightmare of constant battle and survival. He also knew that some people never did get back to normal. He was experienced at this sort of transition. He knew what he needed. Reese needed to get home and get back to his life’s routine. The thought that everything was waiting for him like it was before he left for Iraq was the only rational thought that kept Reese sane.
Reese’s contingency of Marines landed at Dulles at six in the evening. There was, of course, a big welcome at the airport. Reese looked around and still didn’t see Maggie. He called Maggie a couple more times and kept getting her voicemail. Reese was starting to get really irritated. When he got the news that Maggie wasn’t even home he was really pissed. Surely she knew about him returning today. He had left her a dozen messages, and half of
her buddies were there to meet their husbands. Where the hell was she? He fumed.
Reese had forgotten about the traffic in Washington DC, especially around this time of day. Six-o-clock rush-hour traffic was not a problem where he had just been. So the longer Reese waited, the more he seethed. Saying he was unsympathetic was an understatement and someone would get the brunt of his wrath as soon as a familiar face showed itself. He was ready to kill someone when he saw Victoria’s car pull into the terminal. He threw his gear in the back and got in.
“Where the hell is my wife?” Reese demanded.
Victoria looked extremely uncomfortable. Reese had no idea he was putting Victoria right in the middle of a very bad situation. At the moment, he didn’t care about her comfort level. He wanted answers.
“I asked you a question,” Reese said harshly.
“She’s gone, sir. She asked me to give you this when I saw you.” Victoria handed Reese a thick manila envelope.
The envelope was sealed, and as Victoria maneuvered into traffic, Reese opened it. Fucking bitch! She couldn’t have waited until I got back? I’d have done it in a heartbeat! Maggie had divorced him while he was gone. He shoved the papers back inside the envelope and threw them in the back seat with the rest of his gear. Maggie knew how to get maximum effect from anything she did. He was pissed at the way she had done this and stared out the window to try and get a grip on his rage.
Reese recovered from his anger when they stopped at a red light a few miles from the house. He looked ahead and saw a McDonald’s. He smiled slightly. He hadn’t had good ole American junk food in a long time. Normally, he wouldn’t be caught dead in McDonald’s, but he suddenly had a craving for a Big Mac.
“Pull into McDonald’s,” Reese ordered.
Victoria started to pull into the drive-through when Reese directed her to park. Reese took a hard look at Victoria for a minute. He could tell by her body language that she was very nervous and extremely uncomfortable.
“We need to talk,” Reese said as he opened the door and got out.
Victoria followed close behind. Reese ordered and asked her if she wanted anything. She quietly declined. He got his food and directed her to take a seat in the back of the restaurant in a small corner booth. He had questions, lots of questions. His current mood left no doubt that he wanted answers, not bullshit.
Reese took a drink of his Coke and immediately noticed the difference. He almost spit it out. The drink was much sweeter than what he was used to now. It was almost syrupy. He got up and dumped it out and started with a much more tolerable Diet Coke. He needed the small diversion to get his rage under control. He took a few bites of his food and seemed to be able to think. The silence was making Victoria more uncomfortable by the second. He watched her nervous agitation, had seen this body language during interrogations. He decided he had let her stew long enough, so he started with the questions.
“When did she leave?” Reese asked.
“She left about a month and a half ago.”
“Did she tell you anything?”
“She told me to give you that envelope.”
“Did she leave with anyone?”
“Her mother.”
Reese paused and took another bite. He was satisfied so far because he didn’t think Maggie would find another dumbass that would put up with her shit. He took another drink.
“When did you learn to speak English?” Reese asked, a little harsher than he intended.
Victoria frowned and looked slightly confused. “I’ve always spoken English.”
“Then why in the hell didn’t you?” Reese demanded.
“I–I thought you didn’t want me to. A–At least that’s what Mrs. Thompson told me. She said you would fire me,” Victoria stuttered.
Reese snorted in disgust as he looked away and shook his head. More of Maggie’s games. He should have known something was up. Maggie didn’t speak Spanish so she was playing some sort of sick game with him and Victoria. He would never know the reason and now he didn’t care. He was starting to feel better about this whole divorce thing. He was still pissed about the way Maggie had done it.
“Tell me why you stayed after she left,” Reese said
Victoria looked down at her hands and took a deep breath.
“I stayed for a couple of reasons. The first is selfish. I’m going to school and I wanted to get through this semester before I went looking for another job and a place to live. But I can leave at any time,” Victoria explained.
Victoria stopped and looked at Reese. He considered her expression and judged it to be an honest answer. He appreciated the honesty after all the crap he had put up with from Maggie.
“That’s one. You said ‘a couple.’ Meaning two or more. What’s the other reason?” Reese demanded.
Victoria let out a deep breath and started to explain. “You asked me to stay until you got back and I told you I would. You’ve been very good to me, Major Thompson.” Victoria said.
“That’s it?” Reese questioned harshly. He clearly put her on notice that he was in no mood for any more games.
“I don’t know what’s in that envelope. I gave it to you the way I got it from Mrs. Thompson, but I can guess. I felt terrible about the way she did that to you, especially you being gone the way you were. I thought it was wrong. I wanted to leave before you got back, but I decided to wait. The salary you’ve been paying me for the last six weeks is waiting for you at home,” Victoria said.
Reese sat back and thought about Victoria’s words for a moment. This is refreshing, an honest and principled woman. Or so she seems.
“Have you been taking care of the house the last six weeks?” Reese asked.
“Yes, sir, but, I haven’t been taking care of Mrs. Thompson. I know that’s why you wanted me there. That was important to you. With her gone, taking care of the house is less than an hour’s work every day,” Victoria said
“School? Where are you going to school?” Reese asked, changing the subject.
“George Washington University.”
“What are you studying?” Reese asked as looked down at his food and took another bite.
“I’m getting my master’s of science in environmental engineering.”
Reese’s head snapped up. He sat up and he looked at Victoria as if seeing her for the first time. He knew from experience that degree was not an easy load in school. His own bachelor’s degree had been in civil engineering, and he recalled he barely got through it. He would never forget not being able to get a decent night’s sleep for the last two years of school. He had figured out Victoria was smarter than the average housekeeper. Now he knew why.
“How old are you?” Reese asked before he realized what he had said.
“Thirty-two.”
Reese was two years older than Victoria. He had estimated Victoria was at least ten years younger than the age she had just given him. Reese could feel himself relax. Talking about something else had made him switch gears and lower his guard somewhat.
“Why are you working as a housekeeper? You can’t get into a program like that without having a bachelor’s in engineering,” Reese said.
“I’ve got an engineering degree, civil engineering. I did work as a civil engineer for a while. There were some cutbacks at the company I was working for at the time. I was given a choice, take a severance package or get fired in ninety days with no severance. I took the severance package. The employment agency I was working with told me about a grant for retraining engineers. I applied for the program and got in. The grant was awarded to George Washington University, so here I am. Once I got the housekeeping routine down, I started hitting it full time,” Victoria explained.
“That couldn’t have been easy with my wife.” Reese grunted.
Victoria started laughing. She had a beautiful smile. Her eyes sparkled when she laughed. It was contagious and he couldn’t help but smile, too. They talked for a couple more minutes until he decided it was time to get home and figure out wh
at kind of damage Maggie had done.
* * * *
Victoria made sure all the doors were locked. Major Thompson was upstairs. She could hear the water running and knew he was in the shower. He was starting to fall asleep on the short ride from McDonald’s to the house. The first thing she noticed about Major Thompson was the weight loss. He looked gaunt. She knew the major’s routine before he had left, but now she was unsure of what he expected. She went about her own short routine in the kitchen, figuring he would tell her what he wanted her to know. She decided she would keep things the way they were before he left and let him tell her otherwise.
Sleep did not come easy for Victoria. After a fitful night, she got up and slipped on her running gear. It was early enough she figured Major Thompson would be still sleeping. She stepped out into the cool early autumn day. She started her jog and instantly it seemed as if the fog of last night and the sleeplessness lifted. She could feel her shoulders start to loosen. It had been a stressful night. Major Thompson was pissed and she didn’t blame him. Victoria was a little pissed at Maggie Thompson, too, for putting her in that position.
She had to go to school tomorrow and talk with her advisors. She had finished working on her resume and decided to see if she could find an agency here that could help her find a job. It would be tough because she only had one semester left. Going to school part time would make her take an extra year. It was okay because Major Thompson had given her the opportunity to go to school full time and now she couldn’t take any more of his money.
When Victoria returned home she hit the shower and dressed quickly. It hadn’t quite turned six in the morning. She immediately went to the kitchen and started her “Major routine” as she used to call it. She made coffee and started making a frittata. It seemed to be something he really liked, and he always liked fruit in the morning. She cracked open her laptop while everything was baking and started working on some edits that her advisor had given her for her thesis. Breakfast was finished by seven and still no sign of the major. She quietly crept upstairs. The master bedroom door was open and she peeked inside. Major Thompson was still sleeping.
