When You Least Expect It (27 page)

 
              “Daddy?”

             
Ray snapped out of it.  “I’m sorry, what is it Glenda?”

             
“I’m just wondering where we’re going?” 

             
“Wherever you guys want…”

             
“Pizza!” they cried in unison.

             
“Then pizza it is.”  He turned the car around and headed towards their favorite pizza place, the kids chattering in the back.  Ray gripped the wheel, knuckles white, trying his best to get control of his anger.  He was glad the kids were busy with each other, because for the moment, he had nothing to say to them, or anybody else for that matter.

Chapter 19

              Ray stood in his apartment enjoying the view from his living room window.  It was great!  He could see the downtown Portland skyline, and at night, it was beautiful.  This was the life!

             
He had moved in today.  With only the girls and his mother to help him, it had been a long day.  Thank God, he didn’t have any furniture or it would have killed him.  He was expecting a bed, a pullout couch for the living room and a dining room table, which the furniture store would be delivering the next day.  For the moment, all that sat in his apartment were boxes.

             
The good news was that he had a phone!  It had been the first thing he had installed, and he knew exactly who the first person he wanted to call was.  He found a comfortable place on the floor and dialed Amanda’s number.  He was more than disappointed when her answering machine picked up.  He listened to her cute message then tried sounding up and positive when he left his message. “Hi Mandy, it’s me!  I’m here!  I made it!  I’m calling you from my apartment.  It’s great.  Give me a call when you get home, I’ll be here all night.  Talk to you later!”  He left the phone number, then still sitting on the floor, looked around at all the empty space, and suddenly felt very alone.  

~~~

             
Ray had decided to go out and pick up some necessities.  He went to the local Wal-Mart and got some dishes, cleaning supplies and a television.  He had looked into computers, but that was something he wasn’t going to be able to afford for a while.

             
He lugged the television up to the sixteenth floor.  Wow, he hadn’t thought that through.  Bringing up groceries should be fun.  He glanced over to the answering machine and noted there were no messages.  He sighed, and wondered what Amanda was up to today.  Being Saturday, it could be anything.  He went back to the elevator to go get the rest of his packages.  He thought of all the things Amanda and he could be doing together.  You know, if they didn’t leave twenty-five hundred miles apart.  Going to a movie, or out to dinner or even just sitting in his living room, cuddling, watching TV and eating popcorn.  Oh wait, that image would be better if he actually had a living room.  He chuckled to himself; he was going crazy.  He imagined there would be a lot of talking to himself in the days to come.

 
              Living alone was not actually something he looked forward to; it had been ages since he had.  He knew he’d enjoy the peace and quiet, but not the being alone 24-7 part.  That will definitely take some adjustment.  He sighed as the elevator doors opened to the garage.  It was a decision he had made and had to live with, so he’d better just stop complaining and deal with it.  He took his new mop and broom and started his trek back up.

~~~

Carrie sat in the back yard smoking a cigarette.  She had quit about six months earlier, but decided to start it up again.  Ray was the one who complained about her smoking and he wasn’t here.  The girls had come back from their day with him, all excited about his apartment.  It led to the smoking frenzy she was having now.  It made her so mad!  How could he just continue his life as if they didn’t exist? Okay, truth be told, he was being a good father to the girls.  He was making sure he spent time with them and called them all the time.  Still!  He hadn’t invited her to come see his new apartment, why’s that?  Didn’t she have a right to see where her husband was now living, the father of her kids? 

              She knew she was having a hard time with this.  Not so much the fact that Ray was gone, but with him being so independent.  He’d never really tried to be independent while they were together.  Not even in the beginning.  Why the sudden change?  What was different now?  She put out her cigarette and resisted the urge to start another one.  She’d considered calling Diego.  After all, he was her friend too, and maybe he could talk some sense into Ray.                She went upstairs to their bedroom, hoping Ray had left the address book.  Fortunately, it was right where they always kept it.  Looking up Diego’s phone number, she dialed and waited for him to answer, having no idea at this point, what she was going to say.  It would come to her.

             
“Hello?”  Diego had picked up. 

             
Carrie hesitated for a moment, wrestling with the idea of hanging up.

             
“Anybody there?”

             
“Diego…h-hi.  It’s Carrie.

             
Diego raised his eyebrows.  Uh-oh, he thought, what was this? “Carrie?”

             
“I just wanted to let you know that Ray has lost his mind.  Diego, he’s left. He says he wants a divorce.  He moved into an apartment today.  I don’t know what’s come over him.  I need your help.  Diego, you have to make him change his mind.”  Carrie waited anxiously for Diego’s response. 

             
Diego had no idea what to say.  So the old bastard had really done it.  He chuckled to himself.  He couldn’t believe it!

             
“Diego?”  Carrie was getting irritated at his lack of response.  “Did you know about this?  Do you have anything to say?”

             
Diego was not thrilled at having to listen to the shrill in Carrie’s voice.  Did she remember that Ray was his best friend?  She was really a piece of work. 

             
“Diego!  He’s left me!  Do you understand?”  Carrie was hysterical.  Why wouldn’t he say anything?

             
He’d had enough.  “Okidokey.  Thanks for calling.”  Diego hung up the phone.

             
Carrie was beside herself.  OKIDOKEY?  She could not believe the audacity of that man!  She slammed down the phone; not once, not twice…repeatedly, until all the anger was eliminated from her body.  She dialed Ray’s phone number.

             
Ray was lying on the floor watching his new television.  The phone startled him, but he picked it up on the first ring. “Hello?”  The voice on the other end was unmistakable.

             
“I just spoke to your best friend and obviously he doesn’t care that you’ve lost your mind.  Haven’t you called him yet?”

             
Ray groaned aloud.  “You called Diego?  Why?  What did he say?”

             
“Not much.  He said ‘okidokey’.”

             
“That’s it?”  Ray thought this was hysterical.   Of course, Diego wasn’t shocked at the news, but probably didn’t want to ruffle Carrie’s feathers.  But boy did he! He couldn’t help himself, he started laughing uncontrollably.

             
“I don’t think it’s funny, Ray.”

             
“Okidokey!”  Ray laughed even harder.  He laughed until the tears rolled down his cheeks, long after Carrie had hung up in his ear.

             
                                                        ~~~

Ray had just gotten off the phone with Diego.  He’d called him immediately after hanging up with Carrie, after composing himself, that is.  They had quite a laugh at Carrie’s expense; they both thought the whole thing was hysterical.  Diego had been supportive of the whole thing, and they’d arranged for Diego to come up to visit the next weekend. 

             
The phone rang, eerily loud in the almost empty apartment, startling him.  Who would be calling him so late?  “Hello?” 

             
“Congratulations! You have your own place!”             

             
“Hi, Mandy! Yes, I’m on my own. I’ve done it!” Ray was so excited to hear her voice it immediately lifted his spirits.

             
“So how is your new apartment?  Do you like it?”

             
“It’s great!  I have a home, finally, and that’s nice.  It’ll take me some time to get used to all the quiet.  Right now, I have no furniture, so it’s a bit uncomfortable, but by tomorrow, that’ll also change.  I’ve got my TV and my stereo…that helps with the noise level anyway.”

             
“Well it’ll take some adjustment.  Believe me, after Elisa moved out, the noise level dropped considerably.  Alex says he likes it, but I think it’s been hard on both of us.”

             
“At least he’s there.  Well, this is good, I have the phone, and I can talk to you, my kids, my friends, without repercussions.  That’s great.”  Ray wished he felt as positive as that sounded.  He knew this was going to be hard, but no need to cry about it.  Fortunately, it sounded as if Amanda understood without him having to say it.

             
“You’ll be fine, Ray.  Even though it’s what you want, it’s still hard to leave, especially your kids.  Plus, you haven’t lived by yourself in ages!  Now, you have to cook and clean for yourself. That must be a total change.” 

             
Ray laughed aloud.  “Cook?  What’s that?  I don’t even know where to begin.  I went out to the grocery store; something else I haven’t done in ages, and loaded up on frozen foods.  Luckily, the apartment comes with a microwave, so I’m all set.”

             
“Just frozen food?”  She tried not to laugh. 

             
“No, peanut butter and jelly too.”

             
She couldn’t hold it any longer, she laughed out loud.  “Oh well, that’s better.”

             
Ray blushed at hearing her laugh.  It was so cute and sexy.  It left him speechless.

             
“I have to take Alex to work, so I’ll talk to you later.  Have fun in your new home!”

             
“I will try. Goodnight, Mandy.”  Ray tried not sounding as pathetic as he felt.  He wished she were here with him. 

             
“’Night, Ray.”   

             
She hung up feeling his pain.  She’d been in his position before; she knew it was a tough adjustment.  It would not be easy for him. She wished there was a way she could make it better for him, but being so far away, she knew the only thing was to be his friend.  She planned to do just that. 

Chapter 20

              Today was the day.  The sheriffs department was going to issue Carrie with the divorce papers.  Ray paced in front of his living room window.  He wondered how she’d react, and how the girls would take it.  He decided he should warn the girls.  He called the house, hoping that Carrie wouldn’t answer. 

             
“Hello?”  It was Nikki.

             
“Hey, whatcha doin’?”

             
“Nothing much, Daddy, I just got home from school.  You know what?”

             
It always made Ray smile to talk to Nikki.  She was just so sweet and innocent.  “What?”

             
“There’s a sheriff’s car sitting across the street.  It’s been there since I got home.  Why do you think that is?”

             
Ray’s heart skipped a beat.  It was really happening!  “Well, that’s actually why I’m calling.  I wanted to warn you that the sheriff would be issuing the divorce papers to your mom today.  You might want to get out of harm’s way.”

             
“Oh no!  I’m home alone!”  Nikki looked out the window.  “Mom’s here!  Dad, I’ve got to go hide in my room.”

             
Ray fully agreed with his daughter.  “Call me and let me know what happened.”

             
Nikki promised, hung up, and raced to her room.  She didn’t want to be the brunt of her mom’s anger.

~~~

             
Carrie hadn’t had a very good day today.  She parked the car and tiredly got out.  The last thing she wanted to do was deal with dinner.  Maybe Nikki started dinner.  Yeah, right, she snorted.  Like that would ever happen.  She got her things out of the car and noticed the sheriff’s car across the street.  Her eyebrows shot up as she looked at it, wondering what had happened.  She started towards the front door wanting to make sure everything was all right with the girls.