Ted was wearing his typical tailored shirt and tie sitting at the bar of Seattle’s only train-track-style sushi restaurant. The matching jacket hung on the coat rack near the window overlooking 5th avenue. A beautiful auburn haired woman with green eyes sat across from him daintily placing a piece of raw salmon with rice in between her painted red lips.
She had just given her best argument for him to file for divorce, get an apartment downtown, and “move on with his life” (which meant, with her). The bite of sushi was skillfully planned to give him time to respond.
Was calling her a ‘witch’ the best move? Melissa thought to herself as she carefully chewed. Maybe it was a little too harsh. But it definitely is true what I said – that she doesn’t understand him or respect his work. I do. We’re a better match together 10 times over and we’ll actually make a life together. All that’s true.
Ted thought about what she had said as she chewed and gazed into his eyes with that look. He was enamored. With lust. She was right that Sally didn’t appreciate his work in the same way – but what she hadn’t said is that Sally had never been with him in bed like she had either. Not once. And he was intoxicated.
“Let’s do it Ted. I wanna go places with you. We can move to New York. We can get back to the heart of our work. We can take Hope international.” She pleaded, mouth now empty again.
He thought some more – now about his girls. This is never what he had planned actually. His dream was always to live a long life married to one woman – to be faithful and stable for his kids; to grow them up strong and wise and mature; to walk them down the aisle himself and to give them away to a man better than he. Now it felt as though those were pipe dreams.
He knew what he was doing with Melissa was an affair – infidelity – adultery. It was exciting and fun and fulfilling to have a partner in his career and in the bed that matched him; but he also felt great shame about thought of walking away from his girls. It’s never how he had planned his life to go. And he felt incredibly guilty for the disappointment it would bring to them.
“The truth Ted – is that that woman wants different things than you too. She wants a nine to five guy who mows the lawn and has a pension. You’re a dreamer; you’re a risk-taker; you’re a professional. You’re never gonna be a nine to five guy and she’s gonna set your girls up to hate you until they’re driven themselves and come to see you for who you are: an amazing accomplished and successful man who kicks some serious ass in bed.”
His pride in all he could accomplish was stirred for a moment.
Then he thought about Jordie when she was a little girl – about teaching her to ride a bike. He thought about Mindi’s birth and losing her first tooth. He thought about holding Jen for the first time.
How can I give them up? But Melissa’s right though…Sally does want different things and as long as I’m with her, I’m gonna be frustrated. And in the end, the girls will be too. They don’t’ want their dad to be a loser gas-pump attendant. They want their dad to be someone they can be proud of! With Melissa – I can be that man.
“Ok. I’ll do it. Let’s get married.”
That afternoon in study hall, Alex drummed up enough courage to talk with Jordan about what had happened over the weekend. A foreign emotion to her, Alex felt the flutters of fear float through her veins and hands.
I hope this goes ok, she thought. Pulling her friend into the hall, she began her intervention.
