Tess and Jeremy

by Buffy Andrews

  I passed a homeless man who looked like a bundle of rags sitting on a bench. I stopped and gave him a twenty. His eyes lit up like the North Star and he muttered thank you and took off.

  “Get something hot to eat,” I yelled, hoping he wouldn’t blow it on booze.

  I stood in front of the bistro building, reading the For Sale sign in the window when I got a text from Tess.

  “I’ll be home soon. Are you still at the meeting?”

  Just as I was about to text Tess back, I saw her walk around the corner—with another man.

  My heart felt like it had just been crushed by my fifty pound barbells. When Tess saw me, her hand flew to her chest. I didn’t know whether to tackle the guy, who looked to be in his mid-sixties, or leave. I was too angry to even speak. A million thoughts ran through my head. I knew Tess had some sort of meeting tonight, but not with a man who looked old enough to be her father. And then I remembered what Mrs. Harris had said during her dental appointment, about seeing Tess with an older man and I wondered if this was the older man.

  I ran my fingers through my hair. My face got warm and my heart beat out of control.

  The man noticed something was obviously up. “Tess, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

  I didn’t wait for her answer. I turned around and ran, anxious to get as far away from them as I could. I'd seen enough.

  ***

  Tess

  When I saw Jeremy I felt like the biggest jerk around. All I was trying to do was get everything in order before I shared my idea with him. But, coupled with all of our recent problems, I knew seeing me with another man gave him the wrong impression. I felt like I had stabbed him in the heart. And as mad as I had been at him lately, I wouldn’t intentionally do that. Obviously I never expected to run into him downtown. How was I going to explain it to Jeremy? And even when I did, would he believe me?

  “Who was that?” Richard asked.

  I sighed. “My husband.”

  Richard cleared his throat. “Well, then. Maybe you better get home. By the look on his face, I think you have some explaining to do. And if he’d like to talk with me, I’d be glad to meet with him.”

  “Thanks, Richard. But it’s my fault. I should have been upfront with him about this from the start, but I really wanted to do this on my own.”

  “Keeping secrets is never good,” Richard said. “Secrets have a way of coming out just when you don’t want them to.”

  I couldn’t get to my car fast enough. All I could think about was getting home to talk to Jeremy. I called Sue because I figured Jeremy would call Mike the first chance he got. And I wanted Sue to know the truth because I knew Mike would tell Gina and Gina would tell Sue. Sue could straighten everyone out. She’s good at that kind of stuff and everyone listens to her.

  Tom answered the phone.

  “Tom, is Sue there? I really, really, really need to speak with her.”

  “Sure. I’ll get her.”

  I pulled out of the city parking garage and almost hit the brick wall.

  “Damn,” I muttered.

  “Tess, are you okay?” Sue asked. “You sound upset.”

  I started crying and everything flooded from my mouth. Me wanting a job and exploring the possibility of opening my own business. Finding Richard through a non-profit mentoring program that pairs successful business owners with newbies. Our meeting tonight and walk to the bistro and seeing Jeremy standing on the street in front of it.

  “Okay, calm down. Take a deep breath. Where are you now?”

  “Headed home. Cassie’s babysitting the kids and I promised her I wouldn’t be late because it’s a school night.”

  “Would it help if I came over? Cassie could go home and maybe you and Jeremy could go somewhere to talk quietly. Just the two of you.”

  “Would you do that?”

  “Of course I’ll do that. This all sounds like a big misunderstanding. But I also know Jeremy and you and when it comes to fighting, you two are champs at it. No sense on waking the kids up and getting them upset.”

  “But where would we go?”

  “I’ll bring the keys to our cabin by the river. It’s only a half-hour away. You can go there and talk and, if you’re lucky, make up. I can spend the night. Go ahead and pack a bag for both of you just in case.”

  I sniffed. “Thanks Sue.”

  “See you soon.”

  Chapter 16

  Jeremy

  I sped out of the city and headed in the opposite direction of where I lived. I wasn’t sure where to go, but I knew I didn’t want to go home. Tess and I would end up fighting and I needed time to think. I slammed my palm against the steering wheel. Damn Tess. How could she do this to me? Another man explains why Tess had become so distant. And here I thought it had to do with her wanting to work and me not wanting her to. Shows how much I know.

  I pulled into a bar I hadn’t been to in ages. In my younger days, before I was old enough to legally drink, Mike and I would come here and get served. We thought we were hot stuff back then. I bellied up to the bar and asked for a beer. As I sipped the beer, a girl walked in that was all cleavage and hair products. She sat two stools down.

  “Usual, Stella?” the bartender asked.

  She nodded and he slid a draft in front of her.

  “So what’s your story, cowboy?” Stella asked.

  I took a sip of my beer. “Don’t have one.”

  “A guy like you doesn’t come in a dump like this unless he’s trying to bury some sorrows.”

  I didn’t answer.

  “Well, my name’s Stella.”

  I nodded. I really didn’t want to get into a conversation with Stella. I didn’t feel like talking to anyone.

  She tapped her long red fingernails on the bar. “So, guess you’re not going to tell me your name. Well, okay then I’ll just have to call you No-Name.”

  I couldn’t help but smile. The woman was persistent. “It’s Jeremy.”

  Stella sipped her beer. “Jeremy. That’s a nice name. I had an ex who was named Jerry. The only good thing about Jerry was his paycheck—when he felt like working, which wasn’t too often.

  “Then there was Henry; we called him Hank. Hank was better than Jerry when it came to the paycheck part, but he couldn’t keep his dick in his pants. Turned out he was dipping it in every broad in town. Thank God I dumped him before he gave me herpes. The ones who came down the line weren’t so lucky. Hank had started a mini epidemic in this town. People called him Herpes Hank.”

  I coughed. The lady was a trip. And her mouth ran like commode water when the stopper isn’t working.

  “Take my advice, cowboy. Go home. Straighten it out. It can’t be that bad.”

  I threw a twenty on the counter and hopped off the stool. “See you around, Stella.”

  She waved her hand. “No you won’t, but that’s okay. I’m dragging up. Headed south. Gonna find me husband number six.”

  ***

  Tess

  When I got home I tried to act as if nothing was wrong. The kids were in bed and I paid Cassie, reminding her about babysitting on Saturday. But just as I said it, I realized I might not need her. From the look on Jeremy’s face, I couldn’t imagine him wanting to go anywhere with me—especially to a charity event at the club where we would be surrounded by people who always seem to know the worst about you.

  I changed and packed bags like Sue had suggested. If Jeremy came home, I’d convince him to go to Sue’s cabin to talk.

  I told Sue I would leave the back door open and to just come in. When I came downstairs after packing, she was sitting at the kitchen table.

  “Thanks for coming,” I said.

  “Not a problem. Have you heard anything yet?”

  “Not a word. How about Mike or Tom?”

  “No. Tom talked to Mike earlier. He didn’t mention it to Mike and Mike didn’t say anything to him, so my guess is Jeremy hasn’t told anyone.”

  “I just wish I knew where he is.”

&nb
sp; Sue pursed her lips. “I did keep an eye out for his car on the way over, just in case. But I didn’t see it.”

  I filled Sue in on my tea house idea and my mentorship with Richard.

  “If you would have seen Jeremy’s face when he saw Richard and me together, it was awful. But I can see why he jumped to conclusions. I was so stupid to keep this from him, but I wanted to do it on my own, to show him I didn’t need him.”

  I couldn’t keep from crying.

  Sue hugged me.

  “I should have run after him, but I was so stunned nothing would come out of my mouth, so that made it even worse.”

  “Did you text or try calling him?”

  “Of course. But he doesn’t answer.”

  “Want me to try?”

  “No. You’ve done enough. Guess I’ll just have to wait and hope he comes home soon. He can’t stay away forever. He has to work tomorrow.”

  ***

  Jeremy

  I left the bar, drove for a while and pulled into a hotel. I needed to get some sleep. Tess had called several times and sent some texts, but I just wasn’t ready to see her or talk to her. I thought maybe things would look better in the morning.

  I didn’t have a change of clothes, but that was the least of my problems. I knew it was a busy week at the office and my first appointment was at 8. Hopefully none of the girls would notice I wore the same clothes two days in a row.

  I didn’t see who was behind the counter before it was too late. It was nosey Mrs. Geesey from church. She apparently works the night desk. “Something to do,” she explained to me at check-in.

  Her squinty eyes peered over the top of her wire-rimmed glasses. “No bags?”

  I shook my head.

  “There’s complimentary soap and shampoo in the rooms,” she explained. “You can pick up a toothbrush and toothpaste at the store across the street.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “That’s good to know.”

  I wasn’t about to offer any kind of explanation, although Mrs. Geesey seemed to be waiting for one. She handed me the room key and I headed for the elevator.

  “The store’s open all night,” she yelled. “They also have disposable razors and shaving cream.”

  I nodded and stepped into the elevator, eager to get away from Mrs. Geesey. I was sure she would be on the phone to my mom the first chance she had. That’s how it goes in a small town. Your secrets are never secret. Someone always knows something they’re not supposed to.

  When I got to the room, I turned on the TV and plopped on the bed. The last time I spent a night in a hotel was last summer when we took the kids to Disney World. We usually go every year and stay at the Polynesian. Tess loves it there. She suggested we renew our vows at the resort’s Sunset Pointe on our 20th anniversary.

  I punched the bed. “Damn, Tess!” I knew our marriage wasn’t great, but I never thought Tess would screw around behind my back. I’d at least think she’d be more careful. I mean, walking down a city street isn’t exactly keeping an affair under wraps, unless…

  I ran my fingers through my hair. What if it wasn’t an affair? They weren’t holding hands. The guy didn’t have his arm around her. And he did look about twenty years older.

  I turned on my cellphone. There was a text from Tess. It said, “It’s not what you think. Richard is my business mentor. Let me explain.”

  “What the hell is she talking about? Business mentor?”

  I turned off the phone. I needed some sleep. Maybe things would look better in the morning.

  ***

  Tess

  I woke up on the couch to an infomercial for a wearable towel, which seemed as stupid as those blankets with sleeves. I looked over at Sue, who had fallen asleep on the recliner. I figured Jeremy wasn’t coming home. It was too late. I turned off the TV and went to bed. I didn’t want to wake up Sue, so I left her alone.

  I pulled back the sheets and crawled into bed. Where in the hell was he? I kept seeing the scene in my mind. Me walking with Richard. Looking up and seeing Jeremy. The hurt look on Jeremy’s face. My head was killing me and I couldn’t sleep. I thought about taking a sleeping pill, but it was 2 in the morning. If I took one this late I would be in a fog when I had to get the kids up for school in a few hours.

  I decided to read instead.

  I walked over to the bookshelf and reached for the first book I saw. It was Romeo and Juliet, the book Jeremy used when he proposed to me.

  The memory made me smile. How did our lives get so out of whack? I thought back over the past few years. It seemed as though we had lost touch with each other. We didn’t do the very thing my mother had always preached—date nights to focus just on us. Everything was about the kids and meeting all of their needs. Running them to drum lessons and dance classes. Taking them to baseball games and choir rehearsals. I guess I thought there’d be time for us later, but we’d drifted apart.

  Maybe that’s another reason why I was hell-bent on working. The kids didn’t need me as much and I had less in common with Jeremy as the years unfolded. Before having kids, we used to do a lot of things together—go hiking, ride bikes, spend an entire day binge-watching our favorite TV show. And I couldn’t remember the last time we had done any of those things.

  It was one of those ah-ha moments that hit you over the head and jolt your brain awake. You think about things you haven’t thought about in forever. I knew Jeremy didn’t understand. As far as he was concerned everything was great. He was a good provider and gave us a more than a comfortable life. But I just didn’t want him for the paycheck he brought home. I wanted him to be the man I had fallen in love with, the man before kids and responsibilities. But maybe, I thought, I have to change, too. I mean, I’m certainly not the same woman he fell in love with.

  I’m not foolish enough to think we can go back to being the kids we once were, but could we find that piece in each other that had been buried by parenthood, buried by years of living life going in separate directions? Maybe I’m a dreamer. Maybe this is what happens once your kids are older. Maybe this is as good as it gets. But something told me it didn’t have to be this way. The question was, could we find our way back.

  Chapter 17

  Jeremy

  As soon as I walked into the office and saw my sister’s face, I knew she knew. Jen followed me into my office and closed the door.

  I pushed aside the papers in the corner of my desk and sat. “How’d you find out?”

  Jen crossed her arms. “You mean besides you coming to work in the same clothes you wore yesterday?”

  “Yeah.”

  Jen sighed. “Mom called me.”

  I shook my head. “Figured Mrs. Geesey would call her the first chance she got.”

  “So what’s up, little brother?”

  I gave her the cliff notes.

  “Look, Jeremy. It doesn’t take a marriage counselor to know things haven’t been great between you and Tess. I’ve seen it. Mom’s seen it. Dad’s seen it. Everyone has. But I don’t think Tess would screw around behind your back. You know what I think?”

  I sat up straighter. “No, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”

  “I think you saw what you wanted to see. You saw Tess with another man, who from what I understand is her mentor…”

  “That’s another thing. Why the hell does she need a mentor? And for what?”

  “Let me finish. I think you saw Tess with another man and made some wild assumptions, which is probably logical considering the state of your marriage. But you and I both know that’s not what’s wrong with your marriage. You jumped to that conclusion as a way of diverting blame.”

  “Okay, Miss Smarty Pants, then what’s wrong with my marriage?”

  “I think you know that. And I think Tess knows, too. Your problem is you don’t communicate. And if you don’t communicate, you’re never going to be able to get out of the tail-dive you’re in.”

  “So what do you suggest?”

  “The office is closed the
rest of the week since all of the dental hygienists are going to training. I’ve arranged for you and Tess to go away for a few days. Just the two of you. No kids. Mom and Dad will watch John and Katie.”

  “What if Tess won’t go?”

  “I think she will. I’ve talked to Sue, who spent the night with Tess, and she’s probably talking to her right about now. You leave tonight on a late flight to Key West.”

  “Key West?”

  “Yep. It’s where you spent your honeymoon.”

  “No shit, Jen. I know that. Is that why you picked it?”

  “You liked it, right?”

  “I loved it. Tess did, too.”

  “Then it’s the perfect getaway.”

  “So this is like an intervention?”

  “Call it what you want, little brother. I just hope it knocks some sense into both your heads.”

  ***

  Tess

  “Key West?” I said. “That’s where we spent our honeymoon.”

  Sue smiled. “Jen has it all figured out. You leave tonight. The only thing you have to do is pack your bags.”

  “Tonight? But what about the kids? I have to make arrangements.”

  Sue waved her hand. “Already taken care of. Jeremy’s parents are watching them.”

  I sighed. I didn’t know what to say. I loved Key West. It was one of the funniest places I'd ever visited. Jeremy and I always planned on going back, but like a lot of things, it never happened.

  “Look,” Sue said. “I have to run. Call me if you need anything. Think about what I said. You need to talk to Jeremy.”

  “And he has to listen.”

  “You both have to listen,” Sue said. “Don’t let the good thing you have slip away without a fight.”

  I hugged Sue. “Thanks for coming over.”

  “Don’t mention it. I just might need a favor one day.”

  “Anything. Just ask me for anything and it’s yours.”