The Anniversary

Chapter 7

Mike leaned back in his chair and laced his hands behind his head as Carl approached him. He gave his nephew a pleasant smile.

“Hey, Carl. Fancy meeting you here. How’s the head?”

Carl stopped by the table. This part of Charleston wasn’t in Mike’s territory so he had no reason to be here.

“What are you doing here?”

“What’s wrong with being here? I came for some pizza.” Mike glanced towards the booth. “I didn’t mean to upset your girlfriend but she is pretty. She does draw the eye.”

“Charlie is not my girlfriend and she’s far too young for you.”

“Anyone over the age of consent isn’t too young.”

Carl felt nauseous. Mike was in his forties. That was wrong on so many levels. He prodded the table with his finger to make his point.

“Just leave us alone.”

“I am. You were the one who came over here.”

“Because you’re being intimidating.” Carl turned away. “Don’t approach us and don’t look at Charlie.”

He heard Mike chuckling as he started to walk away.

“You sound so much like your father. I bet he’s said that to men who dared to look at his wife.”

Carl heard the sneer when he said ‘wife’. He stopped and swung back around on him.

“Dad never needed to do that around Mom.” He snapped. “She only had eyes for him.”

Mike lowered his hands and leaned forward, raising a skeptical eyebrow. His expression looked mocking.

“Don’t be so sure of that.” He glanced at Charlotte, who had exited the booth and was standing next to Carl. “Please to meet you, Charlie.”

“It’s Charlotte to you.” Charlotte said stiffly. “And the feeling is not mutual.”

Mike raised his eyebrows.

“Don’t you kids get taught manners nowadays?”

Carl sighed and took Charlotte’s arm, giving the waitress as she approached two twenty-dollar bills.

“Keep the change.”

Then they hurried out, Carl not feeling comfortable until he left the parlor.

*****

Toby returned Emil’s serve easily, slamming it harder than he needed to. The frustration and anger he was holding in boiled up and he needed to let the aggression out. So when Emil suggested that they went to the club and have a few games Toby agreed readily. Swimming a few laps in his pool hadn’t helped to get rid of the anger so maybe hitting something would.

Emil came close to the net to return a drop shot, aiming to hit it over Toby’s head. Toby got his racket to it easily and volleyed it hard. Emil yelled and turned away as the ball missed him by inches and rocketed off the court, bouncing off the fence.

“Jesus, Toby!” Emil glared at him, sweat beading on his forehead. “No need for that!”

Toby lowered his racket, realizing what he was doing. He took off his cap and wiped his forehead. Sweat stuck his t-shirt to his back and his shorts were clinging to his legs like a second skin.

“Sorry, Emil. I’m just not with it today.”

“I can tell.” Emil approached the net. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Toby frowned. “Why did I say that? I’m not okay.”

He hadn’t been okay for nearly a week now. Not since finding that text. Things between him and Simone were getting heavy with tension and Toby was struggling to handle it. He laid his racket flat on top of the net, twirling the handle absently.

“It’s been four days and I can’t approach her about…you know. I haven’t been able to stay in her company long enough to ask.”

“Are you still avoiding her?” Emil sounded surprised. “I would’ve thought you two had talked it out already.”

“I try not to. But when Simone says she wants to talk to me I get scared and run off.”

Simone had been trying to corner him since Wednesday about his behavior but Toby kept making excuses to leave. He tried to keep himself busy and out of the house so he didn’t have to face Simone. Even sleeping in the spare room didn’t get him away from her.

He missed her. He missed her a lot. But he was dreading hearing the news that Simone was not in love with him, that she was in love with someone else and she didn’t want to be married to him anymore. Simone and his children were his everything and he didn’t want to lose her. He wanted to hold onto that illusion a little longer.

But it was at the risk of his sanity.

“Maybe you should stay in the room long enough for her to say something.” Emil mused.

“I can’t.” Toby protested. He adjusted his cap. “I’m scared of the answer and that I’m not going to like it.”

“I understand that, buddy.” Emil sighed. “But, Toby, you need to let Simone explain herself. You may dread the answer you’re going to get but putting it off is making it worse.”

Toby raised an eyebrow at him.

“Since when did you become so philosophical?”

Emil shrugged.

“It’s what I would do. I’ve had plenty of practice. I don’t like the elephant in the room. And you should kick that proverbial elephant out.”

Toby knew he was right. Emil had been a rock for him the past week, listening to him moan for hours down the phone and trying to do things to take Toby’s mind off what was going on at home. On the one hand, it could be something entirely innocent and Simone was simply planning a surprise. On the other hand, Simone was having an affair and wanted a divorce. Toby had a feeling it would be the second one and he didn’t want to hear it.

That would mean that his family was right about her.

But it needed to be done. He sighed.

“I’ll see. I can’t promise it’ll happen today, though.”

“Well, you need to do it soon.” Emil warned. “I love the pair of you but this is starting to annoy me that you won’t address your issues. You’ve done it before.”

“But Simone wasn’t involved like this.”

“I get that but you need to address it as soon as you can or you’re going to have whatever it is between you drive you apart. Then a marriage will be destroyed.”

“It’s going to drive us apart anyway.” Toby said. “I know it.”