Duplicity - A True Story of Crime and Deceit by Paul Goldman (surface ebook reader txt) 📗

realcommunication going after five long months. “Doctor, it all startedin February when, after three months of a part-time marriage,Audrey demanded that I put her name on my houses and my business inorder to continue the marriage… ”

“Well, he treated me likea stranger,” Audrey interrupted, “not his equal wife. He threw usout of the house. His sex drive is abnormal. He wanted sex all thetime. He didn't want a wife, he wanted a sex slave. Once a weekshould be enough for anybody. He's crazy!”

And that began the two hour, rather heatedconversation that would not only get everything out on the table,but do so without the need for a keyboard. For her part, Dr. Tannertook notes and nodded her head a lot. At the end of the session,she thanked us both for coming and we left in the same silence wearrived. Getting into my car, I turned the key in my ignition andwatched Audrey speed off through my rearview mirror. I wonderedwhere she might be going or to whom.

I returned to the officealone the next week and spent most of the hour retelling a lot ofthe same things I’d discussed in our initial meeting. Again, Dr.Tanner took copious notes and I wondered if she got a discount onlegal pads. At the end of this session, Dr. Tanner, who had reallyonly spoken to ask a few leading questions, closed our time withthis: “Paul, do you think you and Audrey should betogether?”

The question was simple enough. It was notasking what we wanted or what we thought could happen, it simplyaddressed if I thought we should be together, and I didn’t evenpretend to have an answer for her.

“I don't know,” I said. “Inever really thought of anything other than us being together fromthe day I proposed.”

However, I spent the next two weeks thinkingabout her question and, when we reconvened in her office, I stillwasn’t entirely sure.

Once again, Audrey was waiting at theentrance for me, only this time she looked a little fresher, and alittle more relaxed. We didn’t exchange words, but Audrey did nodin my direction and I once again opened the door for her. Uponentering Dr. Tanner’s office, we both seemed less tense, and we satcloser together this time, on opposite sides of the same couchrather than on separate couches, like we had for the first session.It seemed like the air had cleared a bit.

Again, Dr. Tanner began. “Paul, in my sessionwith Audrey last week, she agreed to waive her demands that hername be on your houses and business. We've discussed this atlength, and she now realizes that over time, the result will bethat everything will be equal, so it's not important rightnow.”

“And the one time a weeklimitation on lovemaking? Has that been waived too?” I asked,calmly.

“Yes, Paul, it has.” I satback in my chair feeling as if I had just won something. She waivedit? It’s that easy? I felt myself fighting a smile.

“That’s great, Doctor.That's what I was hoping to hear, that Audrey actually wants anormal, intimate, long-term marriage with me,” I said, and with aquick pat on my knees I made a motion to stand up.

“So now that Audrey haswaved her demands, you both have to make a decision,” Dr. Tannersaid, stopping my movement. “Do you want to get back together? Ifso, it should be done right away, and all lawyers should beimmediately fired. It would be your new beginning.”

“I have no problem firingmy lawyer,” I said, turning to face Audrey.

“Same here,” Audrey said,still looking at Dr. Tanner. “And also, to recap, it’s agreed thatPaul will give me $600 a week for maintenance of the family home,as well as for my Florida Health insurance and my student loan.Since my first husband stopped making payments for me and the kids,the insurance company is going to cancel our policies. And as faras my student loan goes, they’re calling me every day. I need$6,300 for the health insurance and $13,640 for my student loanright away.” Audrey spoke as if she was negotiating a contract, andshe still hadn’t looked at me. It was clear there would be fees forservices rendered, and there was no talk of love. Not wanting todiminish the little progress we had finally made, I turned toAudrey.

“I’ll see what I can doabout that, just get me the documents and the balances due, andI’ll take a look at it, honey.” I spoke softly, tenderly, wantingto show her I was done arguing. She finally looked at me andnodded. Dr. Tanner wished us well and encouraged us to keep an opendialogue when future problems arose because, she said knowingly,they always do. Nodding in unison, I took Audrey’s hand in mine andwe walked out of the office together.

“See, I told you, honey,”I said, leading her to her car. “This was all a bigmisunderstanding. We just need to keep communicating.”

With that, Audrey turned to face me, smiledin a way I’d never seen, and said:

You know, I really do loveyou.” And with that she put her arms around me and rested her headon my shoulder. We stood there, a couple who decided to make itwork. I didn't want to let Audrey go, because I was savoring themoment. I was afraid if I did, the moment would shatter, never tocome again. But I reluctantly did, and told her I would see herlater. Then, we both drove off in our cars.

That evening, Audrey movedback into my Jupiter Lakeshome and I was convinced that, with a newcommitment to communication and a greater understanding of oneanother, we had a real shot of finding the true happiness thatseemed to elude us.

My painting business,however, was not enjoying the same upswing. We hadn’t gotten anynew jobs in months and, without new contracts or new work for thepainters, the business was at risk of folding. Daniel had givenbuilders lots of quotes in the prior months, but they were notgetting accepted. My concern growing, I began following up withbuilders myself and they told me that the problem wasn’t with thequotes; it was with the dramatic slowdown in new construction. As ageneral rule, a builder would sign the contracts