Behind The Lies by Mark Beckner (the chimp paradox .txt) 📗

pool in the foothills outside Castle Rock. Savings, investments, and other possessions were split in half and King was ordered to pay Molly $3800 a month in childcare. King was able to keep his half ownership in KC Spark Electric.

Since the divorce, his standard of living has been drastically reduced. He now lives in a two-bedroom condo in nearby Lone Tree. He’s been divorced for almost two years now, but still carries anger over what he believes to be an unfair settlement and the awarding of $3800 in childcare payments. Even with the success of the electric company, he can no longer afford the luxuries he had while married.

After finishing off their sexually intertwined pleasures, Justin and Naomi relax naked in bed with another scotch and water on ice. Soon, it is time for Naomi to get dressed and head for home before Ryan’s arrival.

“We are set for next Tuesday, right?” asks Justin.

“Yes,” replies Naomi, “Ryan is scheduled to be out of town next Tuesday, so we have the whole night.”

“That’s great. So you’ll meet me at my place and spend the night, right?”

“Yes, just have to be home before the afternoon on Wednesday.”

“Alright, we’ll finalize our plans next Tuesday then,” Justin tells her.

“Okay, love you sweetie.”

“Love you too, honey.”

The Next Day

King arrives at work and Cooper is already at his desk going over the invoices from the previous three days.

“Morning Ryan,” says King as he walks in the door.

“Hey, how’s it going?” replies Cooper

“Good, the project at the Streamside Condos is finally going well and I believe we will be back on schedule by next Monday.”

“That’s great,” says Cooper, “because my meeting went well yesterday. They’d like to meet again next week to talk contract. If we get it, we’ll probably have to hire some more help.”

“Business just keeps getting better,” a pleased King responds. If we get that contract, this business is going to expand even faster than expected, thinks King. This would certainly be outstanding for my plan with Naomi.

Cooper continues, “I’ll be out of town next Tuesday and back Wednesday afternoon, so I’ve set the meeting for Thursday in Colorado Springs. Would you like to attend?”

“I would, but I want to be around to make sure we have no setbacks on the Streamside project. I trust you’ll make the right deal for us.”

“Yeah, it’s probably best you stick around.”

King and Cooper have known each other since working for another electrical company when they were in their mid-twenties. They became friends and would often hang out after work. King even attended the wedding between Cooper and Naomi. King was already married to Molly, and they were expecting their first child when Cooper and King decided to start their own electrical company. Cooper had inherited some money when his father passed away, and this was used as seed money to start the business. King paid Cooper back half of the initial investment over a period of seven years. They each own 50% of the company and have been in business a little over sixteen years.

King has always had more interest in the operations side of the business. He has the knowledge and skills needed to accomplish projects on time and usually under budget. Cooper enjoys both sides of the business, but knows the personnel, budgeting, accounting, and contracting side of the business is not King’s strength or interest, thus he decided early on to focus on that part of the business. It has worked well for them as the business has continued to grow over the years.

Recently, however, Cooper has noticed King does not have the same energy or enthusiasm he used to have about the company. In Cooper’s opinion, King started to lose focus after his divorce from Molly. In the past, it would be rare for a project under King’s supervision to fall behind schedule. In the last couple of years, King has not been so great about completing projects on time. Cooper also believes King does not put in the same amount of time and energy that he does. It is starting to annoy him. He knows it will have to be addressed at some point in the near future.

Cooper and his wife Naomi live by themselves on Sandy Lane, in a quiet Castle Rock neighborhood. They decided early in their marriage not to have children. Their home sits near the end of a cul-de-sac on two acres of land full of Aspens and pine trees. The home’s location provides plenty of privacy. The home itself is approximately 4800 square feet, with four bedrooms, three and a half baths, a large great room with a designer stone gas fireplace, and a large sunny kitchen. The floors in the living area are solid oak. Off the great room are two French doors leading to an executive-styled office. The finished basement includes a recreation room and an entertainment media area. The upstairs master suite has a second gas fireplace, marbled bathroom, and a walk-in closet that is bigger than some bedrooms in smaller homes. An attached three-car garage and covered back patio complete the home. The Coopers had the custom home built six years ago.

For a while, the home, her part-time job, and her outside interests kept Naomi satisfied, even though she was feeling unappreciated by her husband Ryan. Recently, it’s no longer been enough. Naomi works part-time as a nurse at a local medical clinic. Once the electric business started doing well, Naomi cut back her work hours to pursue other interests, such as horseback riding. She owns a horse named Biscuit and keeps him boarded at a local ranch. She normally tries to ride at least once a week, so long as the weather cooperates. Her other interests include meeting friends regularly and chairing a reader’s book club twice a month.

King and Naomi have always gotten along well. She has always found him attractive and enjoyed his flirting with her soon after his divorce. It was all just friendly banter until the office party six