by Bella Juarez
Victoria stood in the doorway for a moment and watched him sleep. Major Thompson was so handsome and so very dangerous. She could easily see herself crawling into bed beside him and stroking that strong, firm body. Major Thompson shifted in bed and she backed away from the door and down the steps.
Victoria continued working on her paper and when she had gone as far as she could she watched her lecture on geotech environmental dynamics. She studied for most of the morning and around eleven Major Thompson finally came down to the kitchen. The coffee was still waiting for him.
“Good afternoon,” Major Thompson said.
Victoria smiled at the little joke. “Good morning. Are you hungry?”
“Yes, I am.”
Victoria took the food from the refrigerator and reheated it as he drank his coffee. He sat and ate for a minute and looked as if he were deep in thought. Major Thompson looked at the laptop and the books that were at the opposite end of the table.
“I found the envelope on my dresser,” Major Thompson said.
Victoria sat down and gave him her full attention. She had been leaving her salary on his dresser since Mrs. Thompson had left.
“Can you stay until I can get my bearings? I want you to take your money back. You kept the place from burning down while I was gone. That does mean something to me,” Major Thompson said.
Victoria looked away for a moment, considering her words.
“I appreciate it, Major Thompson. I’ll tell you what. Why don’t I keep doing my regular job until you decide what you’re going to do? You don’t need to pay me. I’ll do it for the room and board,” Victoria offered.
“We’ll work it out,” Major Thompson said.
Major Thompson finished breakfast and went to his study. As Victoria went upstairs to make the bed, she saw him reading the papers his wife had left him. He was shaking his head in disgust. She went about her routine and returned downstairs, back to her books. Major Thompson found her a couple of hours later. He informed her that he would be going to the base where he worked.
It was later in the afternoon when Major Thompson returned. He had taken the manila envelope with him. He seemed agitated when he walked into the house. She had started making dinner. He went upstairs and returned a short time later. He had always been very formal with her, pleasant, but formal. She was preparing a small dessert when he walked into the kitchen. Major Thompson leaned against the sink next to her prep area. It seemed as if he wanted to say something.
“Work okay, Major?” Victoria asked.
“I didn’t go to work. I’ve got the next four weeks off,” Major Thompson said.
Victoria didn’t want to pry, but he seemed really bothered by something. She was sure it was his divorce.
“Everything okay?” Victoria asked, finishing the dessert.
“Do you know a good lawyer?” Major Thompson asked with an edge of cynicism.
“As a matter of fact I do.”
“Really?” Major Thompson asked, surprised.
“Yes. I’m divorced, too. When I moved here, my ex tried to take half of my 401K as well as some other things. The lawyer I had in Texas wasn’t moving, so I got one here and he is good,” Victoria said.
“Got his phone number?”
Victoria wiped her hands and left the kitchen for a brief moment. She returned with a card. She handed it to Major Thompson.
“He’s not much to look at and neither is his office, but he’s good and he’ll get on it right away. He’s not far from the GW campus. If you hurry he’s probably still at the office. Give him a call,” Victoria said.
Major Thompson left the kitchen for a short while and returned just as Victoria was pulling dinner out of the oven
“Perfect timing, Major! Dinner’s ready if you’re hungry,” Victoria said.
“I’m starving! And it smells good!” Major Thompson exclaimed.
Major Thompson’s mood seemed to have significantly improved since he had gone upstairs. Victoria hoped that Mr. Ramirez would be able to help him. This guy deserved a break. Maggie Thompson was vile for what she had done to her husband. Victoria was sincerely hoping that karma would come back and bite her in the ass. Victoria looked at Major Thompson, Damn! He is beautiful. She quickly decided if she ever got a shot at Reese Thompson, she would take it and run. She put the thought out of her head, figuring a guy like him would never go for a tomboy like her.
Victoria brought the food to the table. Major Thompson seemed to like eating family style. She guessed that he had been raised that way and really missed it. Mrs. Thompson had never shown any interest in her husband’s needs or wants.
She took her customary place at the end of the table. Major Thompson took his usual seat and dug in.
“Thanks for the number. I’ve got an appointment tomorrow at one,” Major Thompson said
“No problem. I hope it works out for you, Major.” Victoria said.
“Reese. Call me Reese. I feel like I’m at work when I talk to you,” Major Thompson said as he took his first bite.
“Okay, Reese,” Victoria said as she helped herself. She felt the flutter of butterflies as she said his name. Reese…
“I’ve got to find some papers before I see him tomorrow,” Major Thompson mused out loud.
“I’ve got to go to the campus tomorrow. If you want we can take my car and park at the campus with my permit. You could walk to his office from my building, it’s just two blocks,” Victoria offered.
“Good,” Major Thompson said after considering her offer.
“Victoria, can I ask you a question?” Major Thompson asked.
“Sure.”
“Why did Maggie ask you to speak nothing but Spanish?”
“She never said. I thought it was a bizarre request at the time,” she said.
They ate in silence. That was the way it was most of the time when Victoria shared a meal with Major Thompson. She watched him eat. He always had a hearty appetite. He ate like a man, taking big bites. He wasn’t sloppy, she mused, just had very masculine mannerisms.
“What?” Reese asked.
“Hmm?”
“Is something wrong?”
Victoria had been staring at Reese. She had become lost in thought and appreciation of him. She had been admiring his face. She had forgotten he had a slight dimple in his chin. She was tracing the gently chiseled lines around the sides of his lips when he interrupted her thoughts. He was a truly beautiful piece of work. He could have been a model for a classical artist. He would have no trouble finding a replacement for Maggie. Nope, once women found out Reese Thompson was available, he would be overwhelmed. She blushed slightly and looked down at her plate.
“It was nothing. Just wondering how you like the meal,” Victoria said.
“It’s great! It’s always good. You’re a very good cook, Victoria,” Reese said as he took another helping.
“Thank you, Major,” Victoria said looking back down at her own plate.
“Reese!” Reese exclaimed.
Victoria looked up. Reese was smiling. It was such a treat because he didn’t seem to smile very often.
“Give me a break, will ya! I’d like to be off duty for a little while,” Reese said teasingly.
“Sorry, it’s a habit,” Victoria said, returning his smile.
“Well, we’ll have to break that habit. Where did you learn how to cook?” Reese asked, taking a drink.
“I’ve got a close cousin who’s a chef. She shares some of her secrets with me every now and then,” Victoria said with a smile.
“She must be phenomenal because you’re good,” Reese said, digging in again.
Victoria said nothing. Reese seemed to feel much better and was definitely not as worried as he had been earlier. Mr. Ramirez could do that for a person, set their mind at ease very quickly. Mr. R. was always full of options and solutions.
She brought out dessert.
“Man! I missed this,” Reese said lowly as he dug into the chocolate mousse.
“What?” Victoria asked.
“Home cooking. It got old eating MREs and mess chow.”
Victoria had no idea what the hell he was referring to, so she simply nodded. Reese smiled a little broader and his hazel eyes had a spark in them. Damn. Reese Thompson was a really handsome specimen and she was heading for some real trouble.
“You have no clue what I’m talking about, do you?” Reese asked with a chuckle.
“No idea.”
“Meals Ready to Eat and …Mess is our dining area. It’s usually in a tent,” Reese said.
“‘Meals Ready to Eat’? That doesn’t sound so bad.”
“Depends on what you get. I don’t recommend the eggs,” Reese said. Victoria looked at him, puzzled. “It’s a meal in a bag and it’s dehydrated. The eggs are powdered. Not pretty and not very tasty. But when you’re starving, you’ll eat anything.”
“Ewee, not good,” Victoria said.
Reese smiled as he dug in with a little more gusto. He finished the dessert in short order. Victoria offered him another one and he declined.
“I’m stuffed. It was good,” Reese said.
“Thanks, Maj…uh, Reese.”
“What time do you need to be at the school?” Reese asked as he drained his glass.
“It doesn’t matter, I see my advisors on Wednesday. That’s why I asked for Wednesday off,” Victoria said as she got up to refill his tea.
“Thank you. How many doctors’ appointments did Maggie schedule on Wednesday, knowing damn good and well it was your day off?” Reese asked.
“All of them,” Victoria said with a smile.
“Huh! Why am I not surprised?” Reese grunted.
“It was okay. The professors are pretty cool. Almost all of the grad students at the campus have a day job, so they work with us.”
“It wasn’t right, Victoria. You should have told me.”
“It was no big deal.” Victoria shrugged.
“You still should’ve told me. I’d have put a stop to it,” Reese scolded gently.
“There was no controlling her when you left,” Victoria pointed out.
“I guess not. I’m sorry she did that to you,” Reese said.
“It was worth it. I’m hoping to graduate in December. I couldn’t have done this degree in that short a time if I had to work a nine-to-five full time,” Victoria said.
“Let me know what I can do to help you, please,” Reese said.
Reese Thompson was a good man, Victoria thought with a sudden stab of emotion. He had already helped her more than he could ever imagine. He had given her the opportunity and the financial support to do something that would have been almost impossible if she had done it any other way.
“You’ve done quite a bit already,” Victoria said as she stood.
Victoria cleared the table. Reese helped her put away the food and clean up. She could tell he just wanted someone to keep him company. He didn’t offer any more than what was customary between them.
When they were finished, it seemed a little awkward. There was no more work, so Reese excused himself and went upstairs for the night.
* * * *
When Reese got up the next morning he felt refreshed, like a weight had been lifted. It was same sort of feeling when he dropped his eighty-pound pack after a long day. Reese had slept better last night than he had the night before. He knew his circadian rhythm was still pretty screwed up, but he was adjusting fast. He was ready to meet the attorney that Victoria had recommended. Mr. Ramirez seemed like a nice enough guy on the phone.
He went to work early and dug out all the papers Mr. Ramirez had requested he bring to their initial meeting. He neatly gathered the paperwork and put it all in a folder. He went downstairs to breakfast after he was finished.
Around eleven forty-five, Victoria and Reese headed into DC. They made a couple of stops along the way, and he dropped her off at the campus around twelve fifty and proceeded to find Roy Ramirez’s office. He arrived at Ramirez’s law office at exactly one o’clock. Victoria was right, his office wasn’t much. When he walked in, Ramirez’s secretary took the papers and handed him a clipboard that contained a questionnaire. He filled it out and the secretary informed him that Mr. Ramirez was waiting to see him.
Mr. Ramirez greeted Reese with a hearty handshake. Ramirez was a short, very round, dark man. He had a wide smile and a way of putting a man instantly at ease. His secretary handed the little man the questionnaire form and Ramirez put it aside for a moment.
“I’ve been looking over the documents you brought me, Major Thompson.” Mr. Ramirez started getting right down to business.
“And?”
“I need to know a couple of things. First, are you okay with the divorce and second, what do you want me to fight for?” Mr. Ramirez asked.
“I am fine with the divorce. She wanted out. It’s okay with me. I’m willing to let her keep her ID card and benefits as long as she wants. I have a little bit of a problem with all the money and property she’s asking for,” Reese said simply.
“Okay. You’re willing to negotiate. Once I start I don’t like to back off. At some point we will probably have to meet face-to-face with your ex-wife and her attorney, and I want to make sure you’re not going to crack when you see her and she starts the tears,” Mr. Ramirez said.
Reese must have looked puzzled. How did he know?
Ramirez seemed to read Reese’s thoughts. “Women who pull this do not fight fair,” he said.
“Won’t happen, I’m done,” Reese said
Ramirez looked through the papers he had requested of Reese.
“Okay, let’s establish a time line here. From what I’ve read, your wife filed for the divorce two weeks after you left. Neither you nor a representative showed up in court sixty days later. So you were charged with abandonment,” Mr. Ramirez informed.
“What! How the hell was I supposed to show up to a court date I knew nothing about? I was sweeping mud huts outside Najaf, for Christ’s sake!” Reese demanded, sitting up in his chair.
“Calm down. That’s why I asked for your Military Occupation Specialties number. You’re considered Special Forces, am I correct?” Ramirez asked.
“Yes! I can’t just pick up the phone when I’m away and check in, she knew that!” Reese said defensively.
Ramirez smiled. It was a kind of smile that Reese had heard about but had never seen until now. The cat that ate the canary—and left no evidence.
“Her attorney is either brand new to family law regarding military spouses or he’s stupid,” Ramirez said.
“What do you mean?” Reese asked.
“There’s a clause to the divorce law in the state of Virginia. In fact, it’s federal law. I call it the ‘Dear John’ law. It was created to protect special operations military members and those who are unreachable during a conflict, for example, Marines that are sweeping mud huts right now. Your spouse can file for a divorce and divorce you, but they give up their military benefits and rights, including the rights to half of your retirement. The state of Virginia will grant the divorce, but they will give the military spouse thirty days after they return to make a decision on how to divvy up the property. Since this conflict started, the state of Virginia has not been very lenient when it comes to a spouse that does this kind of crap. Do you still want to negotiate?” Ramirez asked as he sat back in his chair and folded his hands.
Reese had been pissed when he got these papers a couple of nights ago because of the way Maggie did him. He was really irritated when he figured out Maggie was asking for half of everything, her military benefits, and alimony. Hearing he had a fighting chance to keep everything that he had worked for over the years was music to his ears. He decided he would rather pay the little round man sitting on the other side of the table than he would Maggie, who never worked a day in her life.
“No, actually, I don’t. I think I’m going fight this. Either way I’ve got to spend money,” Reese said.
Mr. Ramirez
smiled and sat forward. “Let’s get busy. Tell me about your ex-wife, in detail.”
Reese finished with Mr. Ramirez three hours later. Ramirez was furiously taking notes and asking lots of questions. He had never really talked about his marriage to anyone. Talking about it now was a relief. With everything out in the open, Reese realized his marriage had mostly been ten years of hell. Ramirez quickly told him not to take any of Maggie’s calls, and if her lawyer tried to call him, to refer them to Ramirez’s law office.
Ramirez left Reese with a two-page list of information that he needed as soon as possible. He informed Ramirez that he was on leave and could probably have it pretty quickly. He was ready to move on with his life. The emotional vampire that was now his ex-wife had sucked enough of his life from him. When Ramirez and Reese walked out of the closed office, Victoria was in the very small waiting area, reading a book. Mr. Ramirez almost knocked Reese down trying to get to Victoria.
“Hijita!” Ramirez exclaimed as he embraced Victoria.
“Hello, Mr. R. How are you?” Victoria asked with a warm smile.
“Did something happen? Do you need to see me?” Ramirez asked.
“No, I was waiting for Reese.”
“Did you send him my way?” Ramirez smiled as he slapped Reese on the back.
“Yes, I did. I told him you were the best and you could help him,” Victoria said.
“This is the kind of case I like!” Ramirez said with a smile.
Mr. Ramirez assured Reese he would call him and send an e-mail as soon as he had spoken to Maggie’s lawyer and set up a court date. As Reese left the tiny office, he felt so much better. He realized he was really divorced and he didn’t have to deal with Maggie anymore. It was like being released from confinement. He felt lighter and was finally happy. He wanted to celebrate.
“How about I treat you to dinner?” Reese asked Victoria as they walked toward the campus.
