3 months later- November- a rainy Wednesday- about noon time
Donny-
"Hey, Donny Boy!" I see one of my fellow paralegals, Craig, in the stairwell on my way to lunch. "Good job on that deposition, man. Three months in and you're human dynamo!"
"What can I say, Craig," I say with smile, "rooming with you has rubbed off on me." We both chuckle. "I'll see you later, man."
Yes, Craig's not only my coworker, he's also my roommate in our Midtown apartment. Yes, I know Midtown is quite a schlep from Carl's law firm but, it's close to Chester's group home.
My new income allowed me to get my brother out of that facility and in a place where he can have a little more freedom and a social circle. I was even able to get him and our Dad, Russ, to meet for the first time since before my Dad went to jail.
Russ was granted a short term parole and is now living in my old apartment in new Jersey and he's working with Kenny at the restaurant. But I'm getting ahead of myself and I'm at the diner around the corner to have lunch with Chad and Janine. I don't get to see them much lately so we decided we'd have lunch most days when none of us are busy. Janine doesn't always join us but she is now.
"Hey, Donald!" Chad yells at me as I come in from the drizzling rain, "I heard you kicked ass today, bro!" I do the handshake into a hug thing and then me and Janine embrace and she gives me a friendly peck on the cheek.
"That's what they tell me, Chadly Bear." I say jokingly.
"So, Donny, how've you, I haven't seen you since the last time I joined you guys for lunch," Janine says happily, "since this one doesn't tell me anything." She says elbowing Chad. (Janine works for the same law firm but in a totally separate office; they have an annex in SoHo)
"I told you, there's nothing for me to tell, Janine" Chad protests, "I hardly see him anymore since they sent him to another department. Now, all we do at lunch is either make fun of Spencer or reminisce about college."
"How is that big galoot doing?," I say referring to Spencer, "is he still pissing in bottles in his office?" Both me and Chad laugh out loud while Janine has her mouth gaping open wide with shock.
"He does what!?" Janine says; a little exacerbated.
"One sec, Janine," Chad manages to say during his fit of laughter, "yes, Donald, he's still doing that shit."
"That's disgusting!", Janine exclaimed, "Why does he do that!?"
"Because the Jolly Green Suit thinks it's beneath him to use the bathroom," I explain ", oblivious to the irony that doing that is even more disgusting."
"Does Carl know about this?" Janine asks. Both me and Chad immediately get serious and we look at each other no doubt thinking the same thing.
"Oh, don't get us started with Carl," Chad says rubbing his eyes, "Yes! He thinks there's nothing wrong with it! Spencer's not even the real problem anymore. It's his future father-in-law that's making things real difficult for EVERYONE. Especially me!"
"What's he talking about, Donny?" Janine asks, sounding surprised.
"You see, when I first started here, I was working together with Chad which put us in direct contact with Spencer." I begin to explain, "We had so much fun taking the piss out of that big oaf that he went to Carl and threatened to quit and since Carl loves Spencer, he put me in a different department and more than doubled my workload so that I would be forced to work overtime and weekends."
"Why would he do that?" Janine asks, "I thought Carl gave you this job because of he likes you and knows you're good for Carolynn."
Me and Chad vigorously shake our heads.
"That's what Chad and I both thought," I say to Janine, "but no; Carl's made it quite obvious that he wants Carolynn to stay with Spencer and the only reason he hired me is too A; keep me away from Carolynn and B; keep and eye on me. And he knows I won't quit because he knows I need the money. He's increased my workload so I can't go back to Jersey as much as I'd like. He also switched my department so that when Carolynn doesn't see me when she comes to visit."
"You see, Janine," Chad says, "Spencer's no longer the big problem; it's Carl."
"How do you know this, guys, or is it just you guys' speculation?" asks Janine
"Well, hasn't really made a secret of it because he's acting like Donald's a non-entity in this love triangle and that it's a foregone conclusion that Carolynn with marry Spencer." Chad says
"Well, Chad, he is right about that," I say, "I am a non-entity in this. This was never a real love triangle. What kind of a love triangle is it where the girl is still with one of the guys so the other guy's the one that has to prove himself? "Besides, all three of us know I'm no good with love triangles. Case in point; the three of us in college." They say nothing to this.
Remember when I said I dated Janine in college and that our breakup was amicable and that I introduced her to Chad? Well, only part of that's true. We did have an amicable breakup but then I couldn't get over Janine but then she started dating Chad so I actually did not like him at the start. But I got over it and the rest is history, but I've made my point to them just now.
"But, Donny, you said in front of everyone in that dramatic scene three months and you wanted to play this thing fair." Janine says.
"'Fight fair?' I don't know why I said that. What does that even mean in real life," I say, "I guess I thought it sounded cool at the time and I thought it would impress Carl but now I realize nothing I do will impress him."
"Then why haven't you called or texted Carolynn yourself and explain what's going on?" Janine asks, "She's been asking us about you." She has, well, that's good I guess
"You think I didn't try that?", I ask Janine, "I think he's found a way to tap my phone or something because everytime I try to call Carolynn the call drops so it won't even show up on her phone a missed call and every text says 'message couldn't be sent'. I know she hasn't blocked since you said she's asked about me."
"This guy's well connected, Janine," Chad says, "we don't have proof, but we're 99% sure that he had something to do with sabotaging my every effort to make it to Connecticut for her birthday last month at her parents house. The last time I see the love of my life in person, I arrive way too late and she's outside slow dancing with Spencer and making out with him."
"So she has no idea you were there?" Janine inquires. I shake my head 'no'. "I can explain that one, Donny," Janine continues, "because I was there. Chad didn't go, he was in court. All night she was asking me when you'd show up. Neither of us could get through to you on the phone. and by the end of the night, when you didn't show, she got so upset that she ran into Spencer's arms and they ended up doing what you saw." Me and Chad both interrupt at the same thing.
"You couldn't reach me/him because of Carl!"
"Hold your horses, boys," Janine puts up a finger for us to wait, "how and why would Carl know to block my phone?"
"You were in his house, right?" I ask rhetorically, "He probably had his entire property bugged for any communication going out to my number."
"That's crazy talk, guys!" Janine scolds us, "Look, you want me to call Carolynn right now on my phone so you can talk to her and explain all this to her?"
"And say what?" I protest to Janine and then I say in a voice mocking myself and I pretend my fingers are a phone, "'Hey, Carolynn, you know your Dad; you know the one where you made it very clear to me three months ago that I needed to win him over in order to curry favor with you? Yeah, that Dad. He's never going to approve of me because he's been cutting my nuts off at every turn and I have absolutely no proof of any evil doing of the person whose opinion you value the most?'" I switch to my normal voice, "What kind of condition is that anyways? She's a grown ass woman!"
"You know her father was absent from most of her life," Janine explains, "so when he returned to her life she saw this as a sign (you know how she is with that stuff) that her life was turning around and she instantly became a daddy's girl and she regards him like she's a little girl because she wasn't able to when she actually was a little girl."
"Okay so it's her father that's keeping her with that dope over me?" I'm having some doubts, "it can't be the only reason. It's probably all that soulmate nonsense."
"Actually, it's funny you mention that, Donny," Janine says, "Chad you remember that, too, right? Spencer wasn't her first 'soulmate' it was the person; the real reason her life turned around. She spent months trying to find that guy but it was almost impossible. It wasn't me and it wasn't her mom like she says these days although we both helped. But that's not who gave her that initial spark. It's a funny story actually. Four or five years ago she visited us in California, when we were finishing our first year of law school, in order to get away from her stressful life in Oregon. In fact, I'm pretty sure it was the same day you left, which I realize is the same day your mother died." Oh no! I hope I'm not right. I have to interrupt this story.
"Let me guess, Janine," I say, "her rental got a flat tire on the way back from the airport and her phone was dead and then out of nowhere some guy comes from the lane going the other way to help her change the tire and then gives her some sage advice." I say facetiously
"Oh my God, yes!" Janine shouts this so the whole diner can hear it, "How the hell did you know that?!"
"When I went to visit Russ in prison back in August," I explain, "he reminded me why I really missed my flight that day. Not because I overslept from partying the night before. I told myself for years that was the reason but it's not."
"Ok, Donny, that's great and all," Janine asks quizzically curious, "but what does that have to do with why you know about Carolynn's situation."
"Oh my god!" Chad's caught on, "I remember you tellin' me that, too, I completely forgot! That was you?!"
"Hold on," shouts Janine, "what was you, Donny?"
I pull my wits together, I stand up and say with conviction, "The reason I missed my flight that day; the person who helped Carolynn with her car and gave her advice, which you say inspired her to turn her life around. The person you say was her original 'soulmate'? That. Was. Me!" Janine sits there stunned. "I don't know if I should be excited or pissed off. I have to go and think about this!"
I turn to leave but then I hear both Chad and Janine say, "wait, wait, wait, not so fast, we're not done. Sit back down." Both their tones sounded like those of disappointed parents.
"You almost made us forget why we really called you here. Why I wanted to join you two," Janine starts, "it's funny you mentioned our love triangle that we had in college. Do you remember how you got over me? Who you met that helped you get over me?" Oh, no! They know!
Chad shakes his head, "I don't get it, after all this time, you're still seeing her? I get that when you told us she called you out of the blue, we told you to meet with her so you could get some closure from what she did to you so you can move on with this Carolynn stuff. But you're still sleeping with her?! Her!?" Craig, you bastard, I'm gonna kill you!
"Guys, calm down," I say, trying to downplay this, "it's just physical; friends with benefits if you will. What am I supposed to do? I'm on the losing end of a no-win battle for Carolynn and I need a distraction and she's single and it's not complicated. She knows about Carolynn. I didn't even know she was living here in New York. She was living in Cali when we ended things back then."
"So you haven't given up on Carolynn then?" Janine asks concerned
"Of course not," I proclaim, "but the last time I actually did speak with Carolynn she said I can see other people on a casual basis while this thing gets sorted out. Meanwhile, her father is actively trying to keep us apart and I hadn't been laid in months!"
"We get that, Donald," says Chad, "why her!? The woman that broke your heart during the most difficult time in your life!"
"Donny, I told you there's girls around the office that like you and think you're cute and would love to go out with you! You didn't have to resort to something so reckless and unhealthy; it's like you're going backwards!" Janine is almost in tears
"You guys don't listen," I say, "it's just a fling and she knows that. I doubt have time to date any of your fancy pants friends who won't put out until like six months in and I just need my knob hobbled every once in awhile. And there's no risk of us catching feelings for each other because I made it clear it's purely physical, she did cheat on me after all. Besides, she's still pining for Nathan who's back in Cali and in a relationship (my former law school friend whom Brook cheated on me with) so we both know what this is because we're both in to other people."
"But we say, again," they both say in unison, "why does it have to be her!?"
"Y'know what? We're going around in circles," I say, "I appreciate both of your concerns but it's still my personal life and I know what I'm doing ('I think' is what I say to myself). I really do have to get back to the office, I'm late; Carl's gonna yell at me. Again. I'm looking forward to your wedding at the end of the month. Sayonara." And then I turn and make my leave. I notice the other customers and the staff have been listening to this last bit about 'her' as Chad and Janine were calling her; and they all look thoroughly entertained by what I'm sure looked like quite the comedic spectacle.
So yeah, I forgot to mention this earlier but it should be obvious by now; yes, I'm seeing my ex-fiance, Brook.
End of chapter please comment and vote below