Trent knew a little bit about what Abby had gone through. She had told him some of her trials and he felt he knew what her situation looked like to a certain degree. He had grown up with an alcoholic father and knew a bit about what a tumultuous life that could be. He remembered clearly what a hell his mother’s life had been during those years. He also felt he had some knowledge in how to approach and deal with that kind of person. He debated for days and weeks about trying to neutralize the situation and finally decided that things between he and Abby were such, that he would be justified in approaching Cole to try to make Abby’s life easier. However, he had no experience in dealing with the mentally disturbed, and although possibly justified, his decision may have been a dire one.
Abby had mentioned to Trent that Cole went to the same watering hole for lunch every day. He was such a good customer, that they would serve him his lunchtime drink in a styrofoam cup like all the soft drinks they served. If someone from work happened to be there, no one would be the wiser to his lunchtime libations. So Trent made a point to be there. Since Cole ate at the bar, Trent knew he would be able to casually approach and start a conversation.
“ Hey man, how are you doing?” Cole asked the dark eyed, man sitting at the bar alone.
The man barely glanced in his direction and replied, “On the downhill slide for this miserable day, so things are starting to look up.”
“I hear you, it’s five o’clock somewhere, right?” Trent offered his hand to the man saying “I’m Trent”.
“Name is Cole, and you’re damn straight.”
When the man looked up, Trent could not believe the physical difference in the man, since he last saw him only a few years ago. His eyes, were swollen, his face red, he looked to have aged at least fifteen years. “ Oh Hi Cole, I think we met before, you were married to Abby, right?”
“You know Abby? How do you know Abby?” Cole was beginning to look a little agitated and suspicious.
Trent replied, “ We worked for the same company, many years ago. We ran into each other a while back and reconnected. I believe we met at her son’s graduation a few years ago. She told me you guys divorced, but I sense maybe it’s not so final for you?”
Cole sat up straighter on his barstool, his eyes narrowed and his face turned even redder, if that was possible. “What business is it of yours?”
Whoa! Trent thought, this guy really is a bit confused. “Well we are friends, and I’m not sure why you think you still have any claim over her now, why is it your business what she is doing if you are divorced?”
Cole suddenly stood, the barstool rocking and nearly turning over. He was clearly trying to intimidate Trent. “Abby will always be my business, and you need to get your nose out of our affairs.”
Trent began to realize that it was going to be harder than he thought to reason with the man. “Look man, I don’t want to start anything, I just think maybe you should let her go, let her be, step back out of her life”
Cole leaned over til he was almost in Trent’s face and got loud “Fuck you and the horse you rode in on, and if you know what’s good for you, leave my wife alone”
Trent realized at this point that he may have made a bad judgement call, and he may have just made the situation worse for Abby, but he also realized now, that he had not fully understood how bad things had been for her. This was much more serious than he had realized. “Man, just trying to give you some friendly advice, good seeing you again”. He threw a twenty on the bar to pay for his lunch, and quickly retreated from the place. He was going to have to find a different way to make a difference in Abby’s life. Abby had alluded to the fact that Cole had a jealous streak, it had not occurred to him, that his plan might trigger a jealous response.
The man barely glanced in his direction and replied, “On the downhill slide for this miserable day, so things are starting to look up.”
“I hear you, it’s five o’clock somewhere, right?” Trent offered his hand to the man saying “I’m Trent”.
“Name is Cole, and you’re damn straight.”
When the man looked up, Trent could not believe the physical difference in the man, since he last saw him only a few years ago. His eyes, were swollen, his face red, he looked to have aged at least fifteen years. “ Oh Hi Cole, I think we met before, you were married to Abby, right?”
“You know Abby? How do you know Abby?” Cole was beginning to look a little agitated and suspicious.
Trent replied, “ We worked for the same company, many years ago. We ran into each other a while back and reconnected. I believe we met at her son’s graduation a few years ago. She told me you guys divorced, but I sense maybe it’s not so final for you?”
Cole sat up straighter on his barstool, his eyes narrowed and his face turned even redder, if that was possible. “What business is it of yours?”
Whoa! Trent thought, this guy really is a bit confused. “Well we are friends, and I’m not sure why you think you still have any claim over her now, why is it your business what she is doing if you are divorced?”
Cole suddenly stood, the barstool rocking and nearly turning over. He was clearly trying to intimidate Trent. “Abby will always be my business, and you need to get your nose out of our affairs.”
Trent began to realize that it was going to be harder than he thought to reason with the man. “Look man, I don’t want to start anything, I just think maybe you should let her go, let her be, step back out of her life”
Cole leaned over til he was almost in Trent’s face and got loud “Fuck you and the horse you rode in on, and if you know what’s good for you, leave my wife alone”
Trent realized at this point that he may have made a bad judgement call, and he may have just made the situation worse for Abby, but he also realized now, that he had not fully understood how bad things had been for her. This was much more serious than he had realized. “Man, just trying to give you some friendly advice, good seeing you again”. He threw a twenty on the bar to pay for his lunch, and quickly retreated from the place. He was going to have to find a different way to make a difference in Abby’s life. Abby had alluded to the fact that Cole had a jealous streak, it had not occurred to him, that his plan might trigger a jealous response.
***
Cole could not believe the audacity of some people. Abby was his wife. Divorce courts be damned, she was his, had been his and would always be his. Just because the bitch left him and his family didn’t mean anything. He knew she would eventually see things his way and come crawling back. No one left him. And now, this know it all s.o.b., who thought he was going to take her from him, needed to learn a lesson. He never should have gotten in the middle. Now he was part of the equation too and would have to be dealt with. But not before he used Trent to find out exactly where the little whore was hiding.
© 2015 All Rights Reserved
~*~
Scarlett Braden
in Cuenca, Living the good life!
Hmmm, a new character....interesting!
ReplyDeleteHello, I’m stopping in from A to Z and thanks for your continued participation!
ReplyDeleteStephen Tremp
an A-Z Cohost
@StephenTremp on Twitter