by Bella Juarez
“How about I treat you to dinner? I got paid today,” Victoria said with a smile.
Reese had given Victoria back the money she had been putting on his dresser for the last six weeks.
“You don’t have to do that. I want to thank you for telling me about Mr. Ramirez,” Reese said. He knew she needed the money.
“You’ve been treating me to dinner for two years now. I owe you one and your money will be no good where we’re going,” Victoria said.
“Where are we going?” Reese asked.
“There’s a little tavern around the corner called Tonic and Ale. They’ve got really good pizza.”
“Pizza and a beer? Sounds like the perfect meal.”
They got to the tavern and found some seats. It was close to the campus and full of twenty- to thirty-something professionals and working-class folks. There was a big screen playing a baseball game. They sat at a quiet table and ordered quickly. He sat back and enjoyed the atmosphere for a moment. It was an old building. He looked over behind the bar and saw the plate that designated it as a historical building built during the Civil War. It was his kind of place, professional working-class casual.
They started talking about the place and the conversation drifted to Victoria going to school, and pretty soon Reese was talking about growing up in Philadelphia and attending the Naval Academy. She told him about growing up outside of Houston on a ranch. He was really starting to relax by his second beer. He recalled he hadn’t had a drink since he had left eighteen months ago. When she started telling him about her barrel-racing days in high school, he said something really silly because she started laughing.
“You’re such a city boy, Reese. We race around the barrels. Haven’t you ever been to a rodeo?” Victoria laughed.
“On horses?”
“No, we run around on our feet leading the horses, silly! Of course we’re on horses! Going as fast as we can.”
“Why?”
“Because. That’s how I paid my way through college,” Victoria answered, taking another slice of pizza.
Reese relaxed and considered how nice it was to go out and have fun with someone. He was the kind of man who wanted a woman in his life. He wanted kids and a family. He wanted to come home to someone and wake up next to someone in the morning. Down deep inside, Reese was an old-fashioned romantic. Over the last couple of days Reese had realized how naïve he had been when he met Maggie.
After the pizza was done, Reese excused himself for a minute. He found the waitress, paid the bill, and went to the men’s room. When Reese returned, Victoria gave him a stern look.
“I said I was treating,” Victoria said.
“Whadda you know, turns out they take American money here,” Reese said, taking his seat.
Victoria shook her head and looked away.
“You’re my designated driver. The least I can do is buy dinner,” Reese said, trying to appease Victoria because he wanted to hear her laugh and see that smile again.
“I guess it’s time to get home and get you into bed,” Victoria said.
It was an innocent remark. Reese knew it was, but he was a little tipsy and that was the excuse he was using. For now.
“Are you taking me to bed, Victoria?” Reese asked Victoria, staring directly at her.
“N–No, I–I didn’t mean it that way,” Victoria stuttered, wide eyed.
“I’m just kidding,” Reese said.
“Oh God! I am so sorry. I really need to watch the way I say things,” Victoria said, looking away.
“Victoria, I’m sorry. I was just kidding. It was in bad taste. Please,” Reese said, reaching for her hand.
Bad move. Reese realized the instant he touched Victoria he should have never reached for her. When they touched, it was obvious by their startled stares at one another something happened to both of them. He guessed it was like touching electricity, and he was stuck. He couldn’t—and didn’t want to—let go. She obviously felt it, too. They sat staring at each other. He didn’t know how long it lasted before one of them moved. She cleared her throat and he finally managed to look away, releasing her hand.
“We’d better go. You need get on that list for Mr. Ramirez and I have corrections to make,” Victoria said, grabbing her bag.
Reese smiled nervously as he stood and followed Victoria. They walked silently to the car. The whole way home Reese was a little troubled by what he had felt when he touched Victoria. He knew he had always been a little attracted to her but that touch was like nothing he had ever known. Glancing at Victoria on and off the whole way home, he had to think about a few things. Mainly how he would handle this new feeling creeping into his consciousness.
Chapter Four
Reese thought about the week before and smiled because he and Victoria had managed to make it home from the Tonic and Ale without further incident. They never talked about what happened that night. He took for granted that she assumed he was feeling his alcohol, and he never did anything to convince her otherwise. He couldn’t forget the feeling he got when he touched her. He thought with some amusement how they had avoided each other for a couple of days afterward. He was busy with Mr. Ramirez’s list and she was busy with school and the house.
Six days after he filled the list Mr. Ramirez asked for, he received a call from the attorney.
“We have a court date next week. Thursday. Will that be a problem?” Ramirez asked.
“That was fast. No, no problem at all. I’m still on leave,” Reese said.
“I want you to come in on Wednesday and we’ll prep. Come after lunch,” Ramirez said.
Reese agreed and went to look for Victoria. She was in the kitchen making bread and listening to one of her lectures. He told her about next Wednesday and asked if he could go into DC with her. As usual, she was accommodating and he was excited. Wednesday couldn’t get here fast enough for him.
* * * *
Victoria was packing up her papers when Reese found her. He seemed distracted. He had some papers with him as well. The first time in court facing someone who you once cared about was a hard thing to do. She had faith in Mr. R. He would make sure Reese didn’t get the short end of the stick.
Victoria had always been a little protective of Reese and now she was concerned. In the few weeks since he had returned, they had become friends. She laughed with him, shared her fears with him, and cared for him. He was opening up to her as well. It kind of bothered her that he talked about Maggie. An awful lot. She let it slide. She reasoned that Reese needed to talk after all the abuse Maggie had put him through.
She was getting to know him pretty well and could sense when something was wrong. She stopped packing.
“What’s wrong, Reese?” Victoria asked.
“Nothing. Are you ready?” Reese asked as he managed a smile.
“Yes, I’m ready. I’ll drive. Do you want to talk on the way?” Victoria asked.
Victoria picked up her bag. As she turned to leave, Reese called out to her.
“Victoria…” Reese started.
Victoria set down her bag and walked to him. Reese looked away and she saw the fear he was feeling. The thought almost made her laugh out loud. As tough as he seemed on the outside, he was really sensitive and had been badly hurt. Maggie really messed him up, she thought with disgust. Without thinking, she took him in her arms and held him. For a moment, he didn’t move. She felt his arms encircle her and she felt him relax. His hands rubbed up and down her back as he exhaled. She could feel the tightness and stress leave him.
“Thanks,” Reese whispered.
Victoria released Reese and smiled up at him. “It’s going to be okay. It won’t be easy. Trust Mr. Ramirez, he’s got your best interest at heart,” Victoria assured.
Reese nodded his head and returned her smile. “I know. I really don’t want to do this. I never want to see her again.”
“I know, Reese. I know how you feel. Believe it or not, it’ll all be over with before you know it,” Victoria reassured.
“Thanks, Victoria. Let’s go and get this over with,” Reese said.
* * * *
Reese dropped Victoria off in front of the engineering building and parked her car in the student parking area. He made his way over to Mr. Ramirez’s office and reached the building a little after one in the afternoon. When he entered the building, Ramirez was in the reception area talking with his secretary. The men shook hands firmly. Ramirez directed him to a small conference room where he was seated. Reese looked at the man expectantly.
“Your ex is a piece of work. Based on what I’ve found out, you’re not giving her anything,” Ramirez stated.
Reese sat forward in his chair. He was pissed off at Maggie, that was for sure, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to go that far. He was willing to let her keep her medical benefits because he knew she needed them even if it was a fake most of the time. She was sick and maybe one day she would be treated for the real problem, her fucking head.
“I’m okay with the benefits. She’s sick and I know she needs them,” Reese said.
“There’s nothing wrong with her,” Ramirez said.
“Wait a minute, I had doctors telling me something was wrong with her every time I took her to the ER. I think she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia or something like that,” Reese said.
“Who said? Did you ever go with her to the doctor’s office?” Ramirez asked.
“No. I know there was a doctor when we were at Cherry Point that diagnosed her with something,” Reese answered.
“Did you talk to him?” Ramirez asked.
“No, Maggie told—” Reese started and then quickly stopped.
Reese saw the I got you expression on Mr. Ramirez’s face. The cat-that-ate-the-canary look again.
Fuck! I knew Maggie was lying! Reese felt like such an idiot. Even though he knew it was all fake, he didn’t want to believe she could be that manipulative. He recalled all those middle of the night visits to the hospital. All that leave he had to take from work, all the hoops he had jumped through because she claimed she was really sick! I knew it was all bullshit! I should have walked a long time ago. Reese’s determination at making his marriage work had been a mistake. He had always hoped that at some point Maggie would snap out of her constant need for attention. She never really loved him, he was just her sucker.
Reese was beyond pissed, and now he was to the point where he would fight Maggie every step of the way. He didn’t care if it left him broke. Ramirez was right. Maggie didn’t deserve a damn thing. He looked at the wall and shook his head in disgust.
“How did you find out?” Reese asked, not looking at Ramirez. He felt like such a fool.
“I subpoenaed her medical records from the base to find out just how much I was willing to negotiate. That doctor diagnosed her all right, but diagnosed her with Münchausen syndrome, not fibromyalgia,” Ramirez said
“What the hell is that?” Reese asked.
“It’s a psychological disorder. Someone who wants attention pretends to be sick or gets sick on purpose. People with Münchausen syndrome make up symptoms, push for risky operations, or try to rig laboratory test results to try to win sympathy and concern. Your ex-wife refused treatment for this disorder. That’s why she doesn’t want to go to a military doctor anymore. They have her records coded,” Ramirez explained.
“I always knew she was faking most of the time. She is sick but I can’t help her anymore,” Reese said quietly. Why would someone do that? He railed silently when Ramirez interrupted his thoughts.
“Still want to give her TRICARE benefits that you have to pay for?” Ramirez asked.
“You do this your way,” Reese said.
“No, it’s not about me. It’s about what’s in your best interest. What do you want?” Ramirez pressed.
“I don’t ever want to see her again. You do whatever you have to do to make her go away and allow me to keep what I’ve worked for,” Reese said.
“So I was right when I told her attorney you were not giving her anything, especially since she’s lied to you and to several doctors who could’ve killed her with the medication they were giving her,” Ramirez said with that smile.
“Yes, sir. You were correct,” Reese confirmed.
“Good. Let’s talk about how we’ll face her and her attorney tomorrow,” Ramirez said, opening the folder in front of him.
It was another marathon session with Mr. Ramirez. Reese had been through a lot of training for special operations, one of those training classes he could see would come in handy. SERE. It stood for Survival Evasion Resistance Escape. It was the training where a person was placed in a prisoner of war situation. One of the phases of SERE was how to handle an interrogation. He could see how effectively SERE training could be used in the civilian world. It was coming in handy with all the questions. He felt like he was being interrogated by the best of them.
Ramirez tripped Reese up several times and then explained how to answer the questions. Ramirez explained to him that he probably would not be asked to say anything tomorrow, but the judge might decide to start hearing the case if Maggie didn’t go away quietly, so they should be prepared.
When they were done, Victoria was waiting outside again. She looked up and smiled at Reese. He was mentally exhausted and starving. After the customary greeting from Mr. R., they were back out on the street. They walked the short distance to the Tonic and Ale. It was already getting dark.
“How long were you waiting?” Reese asked as they walked.
“A couple hours,” Victoria said.
“I’m sorry, Victoria, maybe I should start driving by myself,” Reese said.
“If you want, Reese. I don’t mind. I catch up on my reading when I’m waiting. I get a little lazy with it when I’m at the house,” Victoria said with a shrug.
They walked to the street where the Tonic and Ale stood, and Reese steered Victoria in the direction of the restaurant. She put up a little fake fight but obliged him. The pizza was really good the last time and Reese was a creature of habit, so they ordered the same meal, pizza and beer. They ate and talked for a while. Victoria glanced at the TV in the middle of their conversation.
“Oh my God, Reese! We’ve been here for over four hours. The news is coming on,” Victoria said.
“Has it been that long?” Reese asked, glancing down at his watch.
It has been that long. They had lost track of time and needed to get home. This time Victoria insisted on paying. It was awkward, but Reese let her. They went home, and by the time he hit the bed he passed out, only to wake up at three in the morning thinking about his court appointment. Mostly he was stressing about seeing Maggie. He really didn’t want to see her again, ever. He had talked to his mom the day before, and she had reassured him that he was a good person and that everything would come out fine. His mom had also told him she would pray for him.
Reese was glad to hear that from his mom, figuring he needed all the help he could get. He lay in the dark and thought about his mom, comparing her to Victoria. He knew instantly they would get along and probably like each other very much. She was a lot like his mom, he contemplated. Both women were independent, smart, and tough. Both of them had to work for everything they had and both of them had not had it easy. That sort of hard work and suffering was what made both of them strong.
Reese didn’t remember falling asleep. Thinking about Victoria and his mom, rather than Maggie, had helped him relax. He woke up sore and tired. Even though he had slept, he had not rested. He was downstairs and ready before he knew it. He saw Victoria staring at him. She always seemed to know when something was bugging him. She never really pried, but she would at least ask. She knew what he was going through, and she understood just how unnerving this was for him.
“It’ll be all right. The first time is the hardest,” Victoria said as she put dishes in the dishwasher.
“Want to go with me?” Reese asked.
“I will if you really want me to, but do you think that’s a
good idea?” Victoria asked.
“No.”
Reese knew Maggie. If Victoria went and sat in the courtroom it would be because they were sleeping together. Not because they were friends and Victoria was there to give Reese her support as a friend. Maggie would make a spectacle of the whole thing and embarrass the hell out of Victoria. Before Reese had left for Iraq, some of the worst fights they had had were over Victoria and the way Maggie tried to abuse her. He knew that if Maggie tried to humiliate Victoria it wouldn’t sit well with Mr. Ramirez. And it certainly wouldn’t sit well with Reese, either. It would be war.
Reese felt like he was going back for another round at SERE school on his way to the Prince William County Courthouse. Reese was not sure what was in store for him, but he knew it would be no picnic. He knew this experience would be long and painful. He didn’t want to be there. He just had to get through it in order to move on with his life. He sat in the parking lot for a minute, buttoning the collar of his uniform. Mr. Ramirez had instructed him to wear his Blue Dress uniform. Ramirez told him that the more recognizable blue uniform of the Marine Corps would make an impact with the court. It would reinforce the fact that Maggie had done him dirty while he was away. Reese thought it was a little over-the-top to be so decked out until he saw…What the…Maggie was with her parents and her attorney…in a wheelchair!
Reese got out of his vehicle and waited for Mr. Ramirez in their prearranged area. They had a brief word with each other on their way to the courtroom. Maggie and her entourage were up front in the handicapped seating. He had to keep from out-and-out rolling his eyes at the show Maggie was putting on.
What a joke!
Ramirez and Reese sat at the back of room, waiting to be called. What seemed like forever for him finally ended and they were called to the front and seated. Maggie never looked at him, which made his life a whole lot easier. Maggie’s parents, on the other hand, were a different story. Her mother hated Reese more and more with each glance and her father looked disappointed in him.
