Simply Complicated (30 page)

“Hey baby, I was so happy you sent me that e-mail. It’s been a long time,” said Ted, his tone pleased and excited.

“I must admit I was a little nervous about sending it to you. I wasn’t sure how you would feel hearing from me after all this time. I thought maybe you had forgotten about me,” Kristie replied nervously.

“I could never forget you, baby. You were my heart. I really loved you. Thanks for the photo—you look great. How did you find me?” he asked.

“It was merely by chance. Someone from work was looking for an attorney and a friend gave me your business card.

“She told me to go online and look at your website and when I did I couldn’t believe it was you. I had no idea you were a defense attorney. When we dated in college you were focused on putting criminals in prison, not helping them stay out,” she joked.

“Yeah, that was true. I guess things change,” he laughed back at her.

“How long have you been a defense attorney?” she asked.

“Let’s see...I have been a lawyer for twenty-two years and a defense attorney for nineteen years now,” he said.

She teased, “Wow Ted, that’s great. Look at you, all grown up now.”

“I see you’re still silly. That was one of the many things I loved about you, Kristie. You always knew how to make me laugh,” he said.

“Not much has changed about me. I still like having fun and being adventurous.”

“Who is your friend that recommended me to you? I need to send her a thank-you card,” he replied warmly.

“She works out of the prosecutor’s office. Her name is Candace Smith. Do you know her? She told me that the two of you stood on opposite sides a few times in court,” Kristie explained.

“I remember her. She’s a nice lady. So what have you been up to? What are you doing with your life?” he asked.

“I have been married for fifteen years. I have two beautiful children and a dog. Katherine is ten; DJ, which is short for Donald Jr., is twelve and Zoe is five—that’s the dog. I am a high school English teacher of all things. You remember how much I complained about writing all of those term papers in college? Now how is that for irony?” she joked.

“Your life seems full and complete and yes, that is quite ironic. You sound as if you are very happy with your little set up,” Ted spoke sincerely.

“Oh now who’s funny? I must admit I’m happy. Of course, I always wondered how my life would have turned out if we had gotten married,” she replied while laughing.

“Is that right? You’ve crossed my mind so many times. Out of all the women I dated you were by far the one I should have married. You know we were meant to be together. I don’t know why you left me,” he teased.

Kristie’s tone shifted a bit, “Excuse me, but if memory serves me correctly, you left me. I always wondered what I had done wrong. I thought we had something special but when you moved away and stopped keeping in touch I thought maybe I imagined our love.”

“You didn’t imagine it. I did love you. I was just too young and too focused on my career to see how much you really meant to me. I really believed that you were my soul mate and to this day I have never said that to another woman, not even my wife,” he said, sounding like a man still in love.

Kristie quickly changed the subject, “So you are married. I was going to ask you that next. Do you have any children? Wait a minute—let me guess—you have three.”

“Yes I am married and we do have three children. My wife and I have been married for seventeen years. Ted Jr. is fourteen, Jonathan is twelve and Rebecca is ten. How did you know I have three children?” he asked, surprised.

“When we were together you always said you wanted to have three children. That is one of the things I loved about you. You always seemed like a family man. I bet you’re a great father and husband,” she replied with sincerity.

“Wow! I can’t believe that you still remembered that after all of these years. I try to be a good husband and father,” he said proudly.

“What about your husband? Is he taking good care of you or do I need to pay him a visit?” he laughed.

“He is a good man with a good soul. He really tries to treat me well. Sometimes I feel as if he cares more about his business than me and the kids. Other than that he takes care of us,” Kristie sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than him.

“Okay, when am I going to see you? You know I can’t wait. From the look of your picture you haven’t changed much in the past twenty years. I see you’ve taken good care of yourself,” he said while smiling.

“I hope soon. I’m not sure when I can get away. Perhaps we could meet for lunch one day,” she responded cheerfully.

Excitement was evident in Ted’s voice, “That sounds good. I’ll give you a call in a few days. I need to check my schedule. Is that okay with you?”

“Of course it is. Let’s make it happen.”

“Well I need to go. It was great talking to you again, sweetheart. I’ll call you in a few days.”

“Okay goodbye. Until then,” Kristie smiled broadly, hanging up the telephone.

After speaking with Kristie, Ted felt like a new man. He felt like he did two decades before when they first started dating. But he had to admit to himself that what he and Kristie shared could not be duplicated no matter how he tried.

She was truly his one true love and soul mate. The moment he saw her picture he knew they were going to get back together. His old feelings rushed back and he couldn’t wait to spend more time with her. It just seemed like the natural thing to do.

Ted immediately checked his schedule to see when he would be free to have lunch with Kristie. He was so excited about talking to her that he nearly forgot he had an appointment with a new client. He had recently picked up a case involving one of Chicago’s elected officials who was charged with trying to sell a seat on the United States Senate.

This case would require that he spend a great deal of time meeting with other attorneys within his firm. Ted was a well-known defense attorney and whenever he was involved in a big case, he had to work late hours.

He hated working late because he really tried to spend a great deal of time with his family. He was dedicated to them and took pride in being a true family man. He never liked the long hours but he knew it was part of the job.

He had worked very hard to make a name for himself. When he and Lynn first met he worked out of the District Attorney’s office. He was very good and managed to win most of the cases he prosecuted.

He never liked the idea of working for someone else and therefore decided to become a defense attorney; he opened up his own law firm and it had grown steadily since.

Lynn worked as a schoolteacher. After they were married and had children, he asked her to stop working in order to stay home with their family. She had been a stay-at-home mom ever since.

Ted was well respected in the community and at one point he considered running for a position on the bench. Those who knew him respected him and admired his dedication to his family and his clients.

He never dreamed of having an affair with another woman. He really and truly loved and adored Lynn and their children.

Kristie was the only woman that he had truly loved other than his wife. Long before he and Lynn met there was Kristie.

Ted met her when he was in his mid-twenties. They were introduced to each other by one of her girlfriends. It was love at first sight. The moment they looked into each other’s eyes they knew they were meant to spend the rest of their lives together.

She was a few years younger than Ted but she knew she had never met a man like him before. She fell madly in love but was too shy to tell him.

They soon became inseparable. They enjoyed each other’s company and made time to be together. Ted knew that she was pure and inexperienced sexually and when they made love for the first time he took her to complete ecstasy. They were sexually compatible and did whatever it took to please each other. They had no boundaries and limits to what they would do to satisfy each other. For them, making love was truly a way of expressing their love and commitment to each other.

There was nothing they wouldn’t do for each other. Both of them were in school during their relationship. Kristie was in her second year of undergraduate school and Ted was finishing his law degree.

Prior to meeting Kristie he had received a position in the prosecutor’s office in another county pending he passed the state bar examination. After finishing law school he took and passed the bar. He assured her that the two-hour distance between them would not interfere with their relationship.

At the beginning they put forth every effort to keep their relationship together. On some weekends she would go see him and on others he would drive to her. This worked well for a few months but as the weather started changing, driving became very difficult her.

Ted grew busy at work and over time their relationship faded away. Kristie never told him that she became pregnant with his child. She decided to have an abortion. She promised to never say anything to him about it.

Now, twenty years later, they had been unexpectedly thrust back into each other’s lives. Neither knew what to expect, but each felt the faint glimmer of rekindled love.

From the moment they reunited they talked, texted, and e-mailed daily. Their friendship grew stronger and stronger as the days passed. Although they hadn’t yet met, they felt as if time had stood still all of those years and they easily picked up where they left off.

Three months passed before they were able to see other. They had to reschedule several times because of their other commitments. When they were finally able to meet Kristie was extremely nervous. She felt like she did the first day she met him over twenty years before.

One Friday, when her school had a half-day, she met Ted at the Bongo Room for lunch. He was already seated when she arrived.

“Hey baby—you look great! I cannot believe it has been this long. I’m so glad we were finally able to meet,” said Ted as he stood to give her a big hug.

Kristie was 5’5 and about 115 lbs. Her long brown wavy hair moved slowly as she gracefully walked into the Bongo Room. Her olive skin was a perfect shade and she had little freckles on her face. She wore a nicely fit cream dress with high heels that showed her petite yet shapely physique. The soft smell of her perfume filled the air and drew the attention of those whom she walked past.

“Hey stranger, you look good also. I didn’t think our schedules were ever going to be open at the same time,” she said as they continued to hug.

Ted stood 6’1 and about 180 lbs. He was very handsome. His mustache and beard were perfectly lined on his face. He took great care of his body, which was evident by his muscular frame. He wore a very expensive black suit with a light blue shirt and a tie that matched beautifully along with a pair of diamond cufflinks.

“When I saw you walk in all I could think was how crazy I was to let you get away. You still look fine as ever. You have really taken good care of yourself. Not that I am surprised. You always knew how to look like a lady,” he said grabbing her hand and squeezing it.

She smiled warmly, “You better watch it, Ted. All of these compliments may get you into trouble.”

“If my memory serves me correctly, your kind of trouble was fun. Tell me, has much changed over the years? Are you still as happy and fun as ever?” he asked while smiling.

“Honestly? I’m happy but sometimes it is challenging trying to balance a family and still find time for fun or me. Right now most of my energy is spent making sure my family is happy and well taken care of. I must admit I spend more time focusing on making them happy more than myself,” she said with a slight chuckle.

“Well, that’s not right. You need to find time for yourself. You should always take a minute out of the day to do something to make you happy. I mean, I think it’s great that you put a lot of time and energy into your family but you deserve to be happy too,” he said, unable to remove his gaze from her face.

“I know. You’re right, but that’s how it is sometimes. I mean, don’t get me wrong—I’m not complaining. I enjoy taking care of my family. Unfortunately, sometimes I feel as if they take me for granted, especially my husband.

“I guess it’s partially my fault because I don’t make time for me. Before the children came along I took time to go out with some of my girlfriends. Donald and I use to go out a lot, too. It seems like now we have fallen into a routine and everyone is getting their needs met except me.”

Kristie smiled sadly and changed the subject, “Okay, Mr. Attorney, that’s enough about me. What about you? You seem to have things in order. Your life seems perfect,” she said as she took a drink of water.

“I guess I can’t complain. I mean Lynn does a great job with the kids. Of course she doesn’t work so I suppose it’s easier for her. My life is pretty good. My children are all doing well in school and my practice is going great.

“I love my wife and we get along well. I try to spend as much time as I can with my family. It gets difficult sometimes, especially when I am working on a major case like the one I picked up several months ago.