The Reunion

Chapter 2-2

Ten minutes after Zeke arrived at work on Wednesday morning his uncle let him know he wanted to see him in his office “This second.”

Now what? Zeke ran over the cases he was handling as he hurried down the long hallway to his uncle’s office suite. As far as he knew, they were all going as they should.

His uncle’s secretary greeted him with a whispered, “Zeke, your uncle is not in a good mood, so be careful.”

He nodded. “I got that impression.”

The moment he stepped into Franklin Hale’s office, his uncle got up from his desk. He was glowering as he looked at Zeke, holding out a manila envelope. “This contains a copy of the divorce papers from Eileen that her lawyer sent over. They came to me because we’re friends and he thought I should know about it. Why the hell didn’t you tell me?”

Zeke looked at the envelope but didn’t take it. “Maybe because this is the first I’ve heard of it? Her lawyer is supposed to serve them to me, not you,” he said tightly.

“You’re telling me you didn’t know she planned on divorcing you?” Franklin scowled as he sat again, putting the envelope in the center of his desk. “Sit.”

“I’d rather not.” Zeke remained where he was, his hands clasped behind his back. “We haven’t been getting along recently but I didn’t think she’d take things this far.” A lie, but he wasn’t about to admit he’d been hoping Eileen would keep the promise, or threat, she’d made after their last big argument.

“You had better have a long talk with her. Make her change her mind. You are a junior partner in my firm. I do not look lightly on the possible scandal or bad publicity this might cause.”

Zeke stared at the older man. “In case you don’t know, getting a divorce is about as popular as getting married in the first place. No one thinks anything of it these days.”

“Why is she doing this? Have you stepped out of line, had an affair? Are you no longer intimate? God help me, if you’ve been abusing her…” Franklin glared at Zeke.

“None of those. Okay, not quite true. Every time we argue she sleeps in the guest bedroom but that’s her choice.”

“What do you argue about? Money?”

“No,” Zeke replied sourly. “I give her enough to keep her in fancy clothes and the jewelry she insists on buying.” He finally sat. “The big problem is her drinking.”

“So make her stop. Insist she go to a clinic if necessary. That is hardly a reason for a divorce.” He pushed the envelope toward Zeke.

Zeke opened it and scanned the divorce papers, shaking his head. “She’s using the age-old reason. Irreconcilable differences.”

“Then you’d damned well better reconcile them, Zeke.”

“Don’t you think I’ve tried,” Zeke spat out, lying through his teeth.

Franklin pointed a finger at him. “Try harder. Fix this, beginning with not going to that foolish class reunion next weekend. Use the time to work out your problems with Eileen.”

“I’m sorry but that’s not happening. The marriage is over. If she hadn’t moved first, I’d have filed to divorce her.”

“Ezekiel…”

“It’s the truth and there’s nothing you can do about it.” He stared directly at his uncle. “You may be my boss while I’m at work, but you cannot tell me how to run my personal life.”

For a second it looked as if Franklin was going to debate that. Then he clenched his jaw, saying between gritted teeth, “If there is even a breath of scandal connected to this I will ask you to leave the firm. Is that understood?”

“Yes, sir. Are we finished now?”

“For the moment.”

“Thank you.”

Zeke resisted stalking from his uncle’s office. He’d almost made it to his own when a man approached him.

“Mr. Ezekiel James Hale?”

Zeke knew what was coming next. Holding out his hand, he said, “Serve me.”

Looking a bit surprised, the man did and then left. Zeke continued to his office, putting the papers in his top drawer. He opened the folder pertaining to the next case on his agenda, then closed it moments later. He was so furious at Eileen for going behind his back—because that’s exactly what she’d done—that he couldn’t concentrate.

He took out his phone and punched in their home number. He was certain that at this point she wouldn’t answer if he called her personal number. The phone rang three times before it was picked up by the housekeeper.

“Please tell my wife I want to talk with her.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Hale. She’s not here.” There was a short pause. “When I arrived this morning she was packing her clothes. She said if you called I was to tell you she had moved out and she would be by later today with some friends to get the rest of her things.”

“Consider the message delivered, Marie. I’m sorry she put you in the middle of this. Please don’t leave until after that’s happened.”

Again, she paused then asked, “Am I going to be terminated?”

“No. I’d like you to stay on at least until after the divorce. Good housekeepers are hard to find and you’re one of the best.”

He could picture her blushing as she replied, “Thank you, sir.”

“Thank you for being there. I’ll talk with you later.”

He was still angry with Eileen for having her lawyer send the papers to his uncle first before serving them to him, but the thought that he was finally rid of her put a positive slant to things as far as he was concerned.

Now I can live my life the way I want to and the hell with you, Uncle Franklin. Step one, the reunion—and Neil, if he’s there.