Out Of Bounds (Balls To The Walls) (5 page)

I stood instead
of sitting. I pretended to admire the bizarre artwork on the walls. Bizarre was an understatement. This crap was like Picasso and Andy Warhol had a baby. I overheard the blonde make the call to Jackass. Her voice was pleasant and irritating all in one breath, too nasal, too shrill and whiny. 

I suspect Jack would want to see me. I had no doubt about that actually. He could try to make me wait but I would just leave without him getting to see why I was here.

Then there was the possibility I would air his dirty laundry in front of his employees. That was where we were different. Appearances meant next to nothing to me. I was the same man one hundred percent of the time. Jack was not. I was very sure he didn’t want the details of how he was left at the altar on blast. Like Kari would say, I could blow up his spot.  

“Mr. Rizza, Mr. Unger will see you now.” The receptionist called to me as she stood. Just I expected Jack wouldn’t make me wait.

“Follow me.” She extended her hand and I followed the receptionist to Jack’s office. His name was on the door. Why? She opened the glass door and led me inside. She closed the door on us as soon as I entered.

Jack was sitting behind his massive desk with both of his hands on the armrests of his leather chair. He didn’t give anything away in his face. He didn’t look like a broken bum.
He actually looked like a man in control. Like I said, appearances meant something to him. I took a seat in the vacant chair in front of him. I was cool as long as he was cool. We needed to rap about a few things and no rapper can rap quite like I can. Mason Rizza is hard as hell or I’m going to act like I am.

We glared at each other for
far too long. We both were trying to read the other man’s mind but we both are not psychic. The entire stare down was dumb.   

“Mason.” His mouth finally moved and my name was all he came up with.

I’m giving you what you give me bro. “Jack.” I felt my eyebrow arch.

“I don’t recall inviting you to my office.”

“I don’t recall you inviting me to marry your fiancée but shit happens.” I smirked.

“You are still a jerk.”

“You are still the player that sits on the bench.”

“You and you little sports analogies.”

“I got more. Listen Jack, you were traded. Your game wasn’t up to par. That’s what I hear.”

Jack forced a chuckle. “So what now? Are we going to trade insults for the duration of your visit?” He was pretending to be at ease with my presence but I know he is a
bit uneasy now that I am here in his territory. He believes he has home field advantage but I know better.

“I think it’s about time we bury the hatchet, sit down and play nice with each other? If that’s what you want to do?” This was bullshit but what else was I going to say to this clown.

“That’s up to you.”

“Yes it is.” I was trying to play nice but I had come here looking for a fight.

“We could talk or fight. You like to fight, right? I’m ready for whatever you dishing out.” Jack smarted.

“Dude, hold your horses. I have no reason to fight you. Been there, done that. I’ve already won. Kari is my wife. You lost her to me.”

“Lost her, she is not a cell phone. You act like this is a game.”

“If you think life is a not a game, you a
re far less smarter than this office portrays.” Winners and losers, takers and givers. “You can bitch and moan about it but it doesn’t change the facts. Kari is my wife.”

“You’re right. It doesn’t change that fact. You may have Kari but this baby changes everything.”

“No really, it changes nothing.”

“Huh, this is my ace in the hole.” He smirked.

“That baby could be mine.” I was quick to tell him what I knew to be a fact. The baby could be mine.

“You and I both know that is highly unlikely.” Jack sneered. He was so elated that he had something to hang over my head, something major to gut-pinch me with.

“No it’s very likely. That’s a biological fact.”

“More like wishful thinking.”

“If it helps ease your little broken heart then so be it. This kid could be mine.”

“You are a smug bastard.” His nostrils flared. This amused me. “Kari will see that smug bastard and she will leave you one day.”

“That will never happen.” I chuckled. I had Kari’s mind not just her body. He would never understand how we were comingled into one person. Our love is epic.

“You have no ethics and that is why you will fail in this bullshit marriage.”

“I have no ethics? I told you about her sex, how good she was in the sack. I told you that in confidence and you just had to get a piece. But I am the one without ethics?” This motherfucker was delusional. Did he want pity from me? 

“Kari and I were engaged. We were going to
get married. We lived together.”

“Right
, past tense, you were getting married. You did live together. Now you sound like you’re singing the blues.”

“When the baby is born you will be the one singing the blues.”

“I was in her every single day starting with November ninth. Every day, you remember that day? That’s the day you loss and I won. I had the honeymoon. Just so we’re clear. I fucked her on your wedding day. The baby could be mine.”

I heard Jack inhale the surrounding air. “Well we will see.”

“Yes we will. Jack you don’t scare me. I think you’re pathetic.”

“I think you’re a jealous prick. You’re a thief.
You had a wife. You couldn’t get a girl of your own so you steal another guy’s fiancée.”

“You forgot she was mine first. You should have never gone behind me because you will always stay behind me. It doesn’t matter if you have ten babies with her. She will always love me. She will always want me. Kari will always be mine.”

“You can have the cheating whore. I want my kid.”

“Whore?” I chuckled. “I should put my fist through your face for that but I think a beating might make you feel better.”

“Try it, please try it.”

I was rattling his calm cool demeanor.
“You shouldn’t be so bitter. There’s a supermodel trophy wife somewhere out there for you.”

“Mason, if you’re not looking for a fight then why did you come here?”

“I don’t know.” I half shrugged. “Maybe I wanted to see what Kari was giving up.” I glanced around the room and then back at Jack. “Not much from what I can see.”

“So
, have you gloated enough for one day?” He asked.

“Yeah I think that was more than enough.”

“One day I will be able to do the gloating.”

I shrugged
his bravado off. I stood and right then decided to let him have the last word.

That is it and that is all.
Why bother with this clown? I didn’t really feel any different. It was time for me to leave Jack alone. He was nothing but a fucking loser motherfucker. I had no business coming here. It didn’t change the facts. I still don’t know whose baby my wife is carrying.

CHAPTER 5

MASON

With the marriage came a lot of obstacles. Maybe I should be more pessimistic but this union has brought joy and pain, joy for Kari and me. My marriage brings pain for Tess. I’m hoping the list ends at Tess but I can never be too certain. Certainty is a luxury that is fluctuating.

I had to do damage control. I had a long list of people to talk to. I had been missing from my old life while I was trying to move forward with my new life. I hadn’t met Kari’s family yet. I hadn’t told my kids about my divorce from their mom. I had to stop hiding in the shadows and get my personal affairs in order. I had to man up and handle all the things that were difficult in my life. I had to get things sorted out in order to move on with the next period in my life.

First on my list of people to speak with was my big sister Karen. I told RJ to keep my nuptials a secret.
I could trust RJ. I wanted to share the news with Karen when the time was right. I wasn’t at all sure if that time was now but I make moves, moves don’t make me.

It didn’t matter.
This entire scenario was strange. This was an odd situation. I had lied to Karen. As soon as she sees me here in this restaurant with Kari she is going to flip. I was sure RJ hadn’t spilled the beans. I would have gotten a volatile phone call if Karen knew what was up.

My wife
had made a date to have dinner with Karen. They hadn’t talked since the wedding. Well the wedding that never happened, the wedding to Jack that never was, thanks to me. Kari had disappeared literally. I had her in my basement handcuffed to my bed. But I think we should leave the little item out of proper dinner conversation.

Karen doesn’t know the full story behind what happened with Kari and Jack. With any luck she will never find out how low I sunk to win Kari back.

Karen doesn’t know my role in the no show brideless wedding fiasco. As far as I’m concerned she only needs a portion of the information, a small portion, the potion that doesn’t make her punch me in the face. I don’t have regrets but I just wish I had moved faster. I wouldn’t be wondering if my wife is carrying another man’s baby if I would have picked up the pace.

Kari and I sat at the table waiting for my sister. Karen was
running late as usual. She had texted Kari and told her that much. It wasn’t a big deal to me. I needed the extra time to regroup and think. I had the extra time I needed so I could get my words together. I could relax long enough formulate my half-truths.

I think Kari was
anxious and worried about our big reveal. Under the circumstances I understand. I had a little nervous energy myself. I never really thought out the consequences of my actions. I just realized I had to have Kari. I knew my time was running out and I had to risk it all to get her to listen to me, to be with me, to love me as I always loved her.

My wife
told me how close she had grown to my sister in my absence. Kari told me Karen and I shared similar traits and being around Karen was almost like being around me. She said minus the penis of course. I missed Kari’s sense of humor when you were apart and when we were trying to be friendly. She was reserved. It was like I didn’t get the real woman. I got the woman that was trying to be a platonic friend. Having only a part of her made me feel sick, like I was eating half of a cookie. Seeing her like that made me only half full or either half empty. All I know is I was not whole.

Kari
was sitting across from me but she was clearly in another world. She was playing with her drink menu. I wasn’t sure why. It’s not like she could drink. Something in that drink menu was fascinating or either she was worried about how Karen would accept our news. I wasn’t worried that much. My sister didn’t have a choice but to accept it. Kari is my wife, deal with it or don’t.

“Hey babe I’m going to take a leak.” I patted the menu out of her hands and smiled.

“Okay.” Kari looked up at me as I stood. She forced a smile. She looked tired. I’m going to force her to rest. I wonder if Jack is the cause of her stress. Is he contacting her behind my back? No way, she would tell me. Or could it be me? Was I stressing her?

I left the table and went to the men’s room. I took a few seconds more than needed splashing water on my face. This place was warm. I glanced up in the clean walled mirror at myself. I was older. I think I’m starting to look my age. At the very least I have all my hair. That’s a good thing.

Bad thoughts had a way of crashing in. When would I stop thinking about this? When would I stop thinking about the possibility that the baby Kari is carrying is probably Jack’s? This thought was disconcerting. This feeling was like a jab to the ribs delivered from Manny Pacquiao with a follow up jab from Oscar de la Hoya.

I walked out the men’s room at a leisurely pace. I wasn’t in a rush to be on Karen’s shit list. I strolled from the men’s restroom toward the table. Shit, Karen had already arrived. She was sitting across from Kari. They were chatting it up like they were old friends. Now I realize that they shared a genuine friendship that had absolutely nothing to do with me. I small ping of jealousy ripped through me. I would have to share Kari with Karen. I would have to share my sister with my wife. Karen and I are close. This is only an issue if I make it one. I’m no attention whore. I can share my wife with my sister and vice versa. 

I’m not sure I want to tell my brother Mike about my marriage. He can hear it through the grapevine or a fucking six-second
Vine
video for all I care. Mike was opposed to my relationship with Kari from the start. He was a traitor to me. I will never forget the trauma and turmoil he caused in my marriage to Tess. I’m with Kari now so it shouldn’t matter but he was disloyal to me and I will never forgive him. Blood was not thicker thin his loose lips. He set that pitbull bitch of a wife of his on me.

I love Kari and I’m sure I would have divorced Tess eventually.
I needed time to figure things out. Mike robbed me of that time. Mike caused a chain of events that has lead Kari, Tess, my kids and I on a roller coaster without proper safety restraints.