Best Laid Plans

Roger sighed as he pulled a small box from his jacket pocket. He removed the cover and watched the gold chain sparkle in the sunlight coming through the window over the kitchen sink. He had planned to give his wife the necklace for Valentine's Day and then take her some place romantic for dinner and dancing. However, the likelihood of that happening now appeared bleak. He recalled how Gail had practically dragged him into the jewelry store at the mall about three months ago to show him the necklace even though she had admitted they couldn't afford it. To earn extra money, he'd started working Saturdays for a contractor who needed temporary help building a new house. She never complained about him being gone every Saturday, but he knew from her actions that she didn't like it. And then last Monday she'd been on the phone when he arrived home from work. When she got off the phone she had informed him that she was going to Pittsburgh to spend a few days with her sister, Tara. She had left the following day, and except for a brief message on the answering machine to let him know that she had arrived safely, he hadn't heard a word from her.

He felt the need for a cup of coffee, but didn't want to brew a whole pot so he got out the electric teakettle and heated water for a cup of instant. As he sat at the table sipping the coffee an idea popped into his head—since he didn't need to work Saturdays anymore why not drive to Pittsburgh tonight and really surprise her.

*

He pulled into the parking lot of a Super 8 motel about two miles from Jeff and Tara Bailey's home at 9:15 pm. He didn't think it would be a good idea to just drop in on them this late at night. He managed to get a room on the ground floor and after entering the room he used his cell phone to call the Bailey's number. Jeff answered after the third ring. "Hello..."

"Hi Jeff, this is Roger Bell...I'd like with speak with Gail if she's not busy."

"Sorry Roger, she's not here right now. She and Tara and a couple of Tara's friends are having a girl's night out."

"Oh...did they say where they were going or what time to expect them back?"

"Tara said they were planning to eat at Alfredo's Italian Restaurant, but after that they weren't sure if they'd take in a movie or go some place for a few drinks and dancing or whatever. She didn't have any idea what time they'd be home...told me not to wait up."

"Sounds like they plan to make a night of it. I'll try to catch her sometime tomorrow." Damn, if they're out late tonight she probably won't feel like going out tomorrow night.

He browsed through a copy of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he'd picked up in the lobby then climbed into bed. He'd just started to doze off when car doors slamming and loud voices brought him wide awake. He could hear a man speaking, but with a strong accent and he couldn't understand most of what the guy said. But then he heard a woman's voice and had no problem understanding her slurred words. "Hurry up and get that damn door open Vince...I need some of that Italian sausage you've been bragging about."

Drunk as a dodo bird, he thought, but...something about the woman's voice bothered him. He tossed back the covers and hurried to the window. He pulled back the curtain just enough to peek out and noticed a black BMW parked beside his Subaru. As he watched, the woman pushed herself off the fender of the black car and staggered to where a short, stocky man stood fumbling with the door key. He tried to see the woman's face, but she kept looking at the ground. After they entered their room he got back into bed, but lay staring at the ceiling for a long time before falling asleep.

When he stepped outside the next morning the BMW was gone, the door to their room stood partially open, revealing the messed up bed. Must have had a ball in there last night, he thought. He turned to go, but a shiny object on the ground near the open door caught his attention. He stepped over and picked it up—a gold bracelet. "Oh god, no!" Now he understood why the woman's voice had bothered him. Gail's name with a rose on either side of it etched on the front of the bracelet brought tears to his eyes and bile to his throat. He had given it to his wife for their first anniversary.

After checking out of the motel, he drove to Jeff and Tara's home, parked on the street and then used his cell phone to call the house. He didn't trust himself to hold his temper if he went inside just yet. It rang about four or five times before a sleepy sounding Jeff answered. "Hello..."

"Morning Jeff, this is Roger again. Sorry to be a pest, but I've been wondering what time the girls made it home last night.

"Oh shit Roger, I don't know. It's too early to think...haven't had my coffee yet. I was just fixing it when the phone rang."

"Sorry Jeff, I understand, but...were you still up when they got home?"

"No, I waited until midnight and they weren't home so I gave up and went to bed. I got up to go to the bathroom around two-thirty and Tara was in bed then...must have been real quiet when she came in because I didn't hear her."

"Okay, but do you know if Gail came back with Tara?"

"Well hell Roger, I would have to assume so since they went in Tara's car. Why would you think...?"

"Do me a favor and check to see if she's even there."

'Damn it Roger, I know she's here...saw her when I got up. She's using the spare bedroom and she didn't close the door all the way."

"Okay, thanks Jeff. He dropped the phone back in his pocket, walked up the short driveway, and wrapped on the kitchen door.

Jeff opened the door then stood with his mouth open for about ten seconds before he stepped back. "Roger! What the hell are you doing here...how did you...? Oh never mind, it don't matter, come on in and grab a seat. The coffee is ready and I need it."

He pulled a chair from the table and plopped down on it.

Jeff poured two mugs of coffee, set one in front of him and then sat across from him with the other. "Now then, would you care to explain what the hell is going on? Have you and Gail been having marriage problems? Is that why she came here without you?"

He took a sip of coffee then just stared into the mug as he thought about how to answer. "If we're having problems, it's news to me. Gail hasn't been complaining about anything. She was on the phone Monday when I got home from work. She hung up right after I walked in and then told me she wanted to visit Tara for a few days because they hadn't seen each other for several months. But...after last night I don't know what to think, and I'd rather not say any more until I've had a chance to talk with her. He got up and stood by the sink and looked out the window.

"Roger! What are you doing here? Gail didn't tell me you were coming."

He turned and saw Tara in the doorway to the living room fumbling with the sash of her housecoat and staring at him with a puzzled expression. "Good morning Tara...you look lovely as usual." He gave her a catty grin then returned to his seat at the table.

"Don't be sarcastic Roger, I'm well aware of how I look, and I feel even worse."

Jeff took another mug from the cupboard and filled it with coffee. "Come sit down dear. This will help clear the cobwebs from your head. Roger has something he wants to discuss with your sister when she gets up."

Tara sat beside Jeff with her elbows on the table and her head in her hands for several minutes. She finally picked up the mug and peered at him over the top with a wounded look in her eyes. "Okay Roger, what's going on between you and Gail? It must be serious for you to drive way up here instead of calling her on the phone."

"Well, actually, since today is Valentine's Day, I had planned to surprise her and..."

"Roger! What the hell are you doing here?"

"My god, Jeff, you need to do something about the echo in this house. That's the third time I've heard that this morning." He turned around to face his wife as she scuffed into the kitchen, her face ashen, dark shadows around her eyes, and hair looking like she hadn't combed it in a week. "Well look who's finally up. Did you have a rough night too Gail, or just a hard one? Would you like to tell us about it now or would you prefer to wait until you've had your coffee and something to eat."

"Coffee sounds good, but I'm not hungry." She pulled out a chair at the end of the table and slumped into it.

A lump formed in his throat as he watched her. When and why had things gone astray? Did she even love him anymore, he wondered? He had to find out what happened. Would she tell him or try to lie her way out of it. "I can understand you not being hungry Gail, after that sausage you had last night."

. "How did you...?" Her face went pale and she stared at him with a stricken look for several seconds then appeared to relax just a bit. "Oh, of course, Tara told you about us having the spaghetti with sausage sauce."

"No Gail, your sister didn't tell me anything. I called last night and Jeff told me you were having a girl's night out—Italian restaurant then dancing or whatever. It's the damned whatever that I'm worried about. And it looks like you got smashed and then...."

Tara pushed back from the table. "I'm going to take a shower."

"Before you go Tara...would you mind telling me what time you got home last night?"

She stopped and gave him a look of uneasy puzzlement. "I don't see that it's any of your business Roger, but I got home a few minutes after one."

"Okay, and Gail, next question is for you. Did you come home with Tara?"

He saw the blood drain from her face as she looked at her sister, and then she turned back to him. "What the hell is this roger...twenty questions?" Of course I..."

"Hold it Gail—before you say anymore, make damned sure you're telling the truth, because if you lie to me..."

"Have I ever lied to you before Roger, about anything?"

"Not that I'm aware of and this would not be a good time to start."

"Roger, it's been a long time since you've taken me out for dinner and dancing. And you've been going somewhere every Saturday for almost three months and then coming home too tired to even make love to me. I figured you were cheating on me, but never said anything because I didn't want to lose you. When Tara decided it was time to come home I wasn't ready to leave. I wanted to stay and dance some more so I asked Vince, the guy I'd been dancing with, if he'd give me a ride and he said he'd be happy to. I really don't remember very much about what happened after Tara and her friends left, but I'm quite sure I had only one more drink. I guess that was one more than I should have."

"Do you remember stopping anywhere on the way or even what time you got here?"

"Not really, but I don't understand where you're going with all of these questions."

"Maybe I can refresh your memory Gail. Where is the bracelet that I gave you for our first anniversary?"

She held out her arm. "It's right here on...oh...oh god...I...I must have..."

He pulled the bracelet from his pocket and tossed it onto the table. "I found it on the ground near the motel room where you told Vince to hurry up and get the damned door open because you needed some of that Italian sausage he'd been bragging about."

Tears rolled down his wife's cheeks as she stared at him with a stricken look. "Oh god Roger, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I didn't even realize what I had done until I woke up this morning."

Jeff got up and stood behind Tara's chair with his hands on her shoulders. "Okay Roger, I can see why you suspected that Gail didn't come home with Tara, but you still haven't told us why you're here and why you didn't let us know you were coming."

"I guess it was just fate that I decided to stay at that motel last night and then Vince brought my wife to the room right next to mine. But Gail, I want you know that I have never ever cheated on you. All those Saturdays..." He took the box from his pocket and laid it on the table in front of her. "I was helping a contractor build a new house so I'd have the money to buy the necklace you showed me at the mall. I had been planning to surprise you with it for Valentine's Day and then take you out to dinner, however, that fell through when you came up here. When I got home from work yesterday, I got the idea of coming up here to surprise you— and I'll be damned if that didn't backfire and I'm the one who got surprised. I guess it's true...the best laid plans of mice and me..."

He got up and started for the door.

Gail jumped up and ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. "Please don't go Roger. I love you and if you still love me we can put this behind us. And I promise I'll never do anything like that again."

"After what you've told us Gail, I don't think you intended to do it this time. I think you were drugged. And yes, I still love you and may be able to forgive you, but I don't think I'll ever forget...and we better not have sausage for breakfast anymore." He leaned over and kissed her. This may be a happy Valentine's Day after all, he thought.