The Story Teller - a Change In Attitude, 3rd and Final Chapter

A good ending to a great story.

The real moral of this story is this: Be aware of any signs that you're an alcoholic, and if you are, seek help. Too much of anything never did a good thing for anyone.

Chapter Three

Bruce started working on one of his cases as soon as he got to the office. He kept watching the clock and the hands seemed to be moving in super slow motion. His mind kept drifting to the words spoken by the old man. Bruce couldn't let that happen to him and his children.

About 1 o'clock, Bruce felt like he had been at the office for 20 hours, he picked up his phone and dialed Beth's cell phone. Beth answered on the second ring.

"Beth, I love you and I'm sorry," he blurted out.
"What?" was all she could think of to say.
"Beth, I'm sorry for the way that I've been treating you for so long and I just want you to know that I love you and I want to know if you could find it in your heart to forgive me, even if it's only a little, and give me a chance to make it up to you."
The words in her heart just wouldn't come out of her.

"I'd like to ask mywife for a date tonight. You pick the place and and the time. All I ask is that you make it someplace special because I've got a lot to make up to you for. I've been a real bastard for a long time. Tell the kids to order a pizza or whatever else they want to eat. I want this night to be ours."

"Bruce, what... are you... did something happen?"

"I'm fine. I think that I'm finally coming to my senses and relearning what a wonderful woman that I have. I just hope that I haven't lost you already."
"You haven't," she said in such a soft voice that he almost didn't hear her.
"I'll drop my briefcase off as soon as I get home and we'll leave for the restaurant. Make the reservations for us please."

All she could say was, "Yes."
"I love you," he said and then hung up the phone.
Beth continued to hold the phone to her ear after Bruce had hung up until the recording came on, "If you want to make a call, please hang up and dial again."
She softly hung up the phone and a smile came to her lips. She picked the phone up again and called the beauty shop that she always went to and made an emergency appointment. Beth was half way to the beauty shop when she realized that she hadn't left the kids a note about where she was and the fact that she and Bruce were going out on a date tonight."
Beth walked into the shop with a bounce in her step. The beautician that regularly worked on her hair stood up and walked to the empty station. And waited while Beth took off her coat and sat down.

"Do you want me to do it regular, Mrs. J?"
Beth smiled at her reflection in the mirror, "Do it special Brenda. I've got a date tonight."
Brenda arced her eyebrows but Beth didn't offer any more information. Beth motioned to the manicurist and the young girl brought her tray over and began working on Beth's fingernails. While Brenda was setting her hair she dialed information and got the number of the new restaurant that her friends had been raving about. Beth had to plead with the reservation clerk to get a table for tonight but she got the reservations.
Brenda finished up at the beauty shop and then shopped for a nice dress for her date. She finally got home about five o'clock. Her kids were in the kitchen talking over a Coke; actually they were bickering over a Coke.
"Your Dad and I are going out on a date tonight. Order whatever you want to eat tonight. The carryout menus are in the top drawer in the kitchen," she said as she walked past the kids and up to the bathroom with a smile on her face.
Beth's daughter looked at her brother with a funny look on her face, "A date? I really doubt that she's going on a date with Dad. Do you think she's got a lover?"
Her brother gave a shrug that gave her the impression that he really didn't give a darn one way or another.
Beth eased herself into the bath water that was slightly too hot. It took several minutes before she could become accustomed to it. She leaned back and began to think about her marriage to Bruce Jamison and how they were still so much in love but so close to a divorce.

When had they given up on the marriage?

What had driven a wedge between them?

What was behind Bruce's phone call earlier?

Beth soaked in the water until she felt it beginning to cool. She washed and then rinsed herself. She walked into the bedroom from the master bath and began to touch up her hair. The bouffant shower cap had only messed up her hair a little and she soon had it perfect again. She looked at her watch.

Bruce would be home in about two hours. She put on her sexiest bra and panties set and set her new dress on the bed. She cut the labels off of it and held it up against her. She smiled, it would be perfect if Bruce was really trying to change.
Beth slipped the dress over her her head and let it drop onto her body. She turned a bit and smiled. She still had a figure that got admiring glances from men that passed her on the street. A knock on the door startled her.
Beth opened the door and saw her daughter holding a bunch of red roses,"Someone sent you flowers Mom."
Beth took them from her daughter and opened the card. The roses were from Bruce and the card just said, I Love You.
Beth saw that her daughter was looking at her funny, "Are you really going out on a date with Dad?"
"Yes, Honey. Please put these in a vase for me and put them in the entry for me so that your father will see them as soon as he gets home."
"Whatever," her daughter said as she took the flowers and began to walk downstairs.
Beth pulled out a pair of pantyhose from her lingerie drawer. She looked at them for a minute before she pushed them back in the drawer. She rooted through the drawer until she found a new pair of thigh high hose. She wanted to feel pretty tonight for Bruce.
Beth was just starting down the stairs when Bruce walked in the front door.

He watched her with a smile on his face as she descended the stairs. His eyes started to tear when he thought about how badly he had treated this magnificent woman the past few years.
As she walked to him he gathered her in his arms and kissed her. When they broke the kiss he murmured, "My God you are beautiful."
At the top of the stairs their daughter turned and headed for her bedroom muttering, "Gawd, give me a break."
Bruce helped her on with her coat, hollered goodbye to the kids and opened the front door for her. He held her arm as they walked to the car. Beth stood as he opened the car door and then helped her into the car.
Bruce walked around the car and got behind the wheel. He turned the key and started the car. He paused and then turned the car off and turned to her.
"Beth, something happened today. I can't really explain it. I suddenly realized just what a jerk that I've been for quite a while now. I'm drinking way too much. I've withdrawn into myself and I don't include you into my life anymore.

It just dawned on me today that we rarely talk anymore.

I've been doing a lot of thinking today and I want to get back the wonderful woman that I married.

I just hope that I haven't lost you forever, because I love you as much as I did the day we married."
Beth patted him on the arm, "You haven't lost me. You'd better drive. Our reservations are for seven thirty."
Bruce started the car and pulled out of the driveway. He reached out and took Beth's hand and squeezed it gently. She smiled at him and slid over and sat next to him and held his arm.
Bruce pulled into the restaurant parking lot and up to the front door. The valet ran to open the door for Beth and helped her out of the car. Brucewalked around the car and took her arm.
They were seated at their table almost immediately and when the server greeted them Bruce ordered a cup of coffee for him and Beth asked for the same. Bruce asked if they could have a few minutes to talk before the server took their order.
After they had their coffee in front of them and the server left, Bruce looked into her eyes, "Beth, I don't know why I just started to realize how bad I've been treating you the past few years. I haven't been able to get any work done today because I've been so ashamed of how much of a jerk that I've been. You should have kicked me in the balls and snapped me out of it."
Beth looked down into her coffee cup, "I've reached out to you so many times. You just seemed like you weren't really interested in me anymore.What made you pull away from me?"
Bruce looked away before he turned back. Beth saw he had tears in his eyes,"I've just felt that my life is not what I thought it would be. I feel like I'm trapped in a cage and my life will be the exactly the same ten years from now that it is today. Do you remember when I passed the bar? I was going to work for a few years until I got a little money and I could afford to open my own office. Now I spend my days trying to keep CEO's out of jail, trying to keep companies from being sued for unscrupulous business practices and trying to find legal or semi-legal ways that companies can get more money from their customers. I feel like I'm an accomplice to something unholy."
"Why don't you quit and open your own company in town here?" Beth asked,"You can do real estate title work, criminal law, anything you want."
Bruce looked at her, "I've thought about it. We're used to a life style that I doubt we would want to let go. The kids are planning on college and it would be a while before I started bringing in enough money to support us."
Beth started to smile, "You never did care to know about how we were doing financially. We have over eight hundred thousand in stocks, a healthy IRA, a substantial savings account and our house was paid off last year. You've never asked how my business was doing because you always considered yourself the bread winner in this family. I'm here to tell you that I'm doing very well. I can support this family until you get on your feet."

Beth saw that he was so shocked that he couldn't respond to her, "Now Mister Jamison, what I would suggest is that if you really feel that way, you go towork tomorrow and give them thirty days notice. That will give you time toc lean up any work that really needs your input and it will give the firm time to assign work that they won't need you for. I'll look for a building that will be big enough for your offices and mine and I'll do the interiors and have them ready for you to open your office as soon as you become self-employed. "
Bruce still hadn't said anything so Beth continued, "That is if you want to save this marriage and your family.

If you're worried about me having to support you, don't.

I look on it as an investment. I don't want to lose you."
Bruce reached over and took her hand and squeezed it, "You've got a deal. I'll be looking forward to moving into my new office in thirty days."
The server came to take their order and Bruce asked what the two best things on the menu were. The young man rattled off the attributes of two dishes that were the specials of the day and Bruce looked at Beth. She nodded and Bruce ordered both dishes.

"Do you want to do like we did when we first got married, share some of each dish?"

Beth nodded, "You'd better eat hearty. I'd also suggest that you call in sick tomorrow. You're not going to get much sleep tonight."