THEY TORE MY TRUST APART FOR 15 YEARS—NOW MY RUTHLESS PAYBACK LEFT THEIR REPUTATIONS IN RUINS!

THEY TORE MY TRUST APART FOR 15 YEARS—NOW MY RUTHLESS PAYBACK LEFT THEIR REPUTATIONS IN RUINS!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello, thank you for being here. Welcome to cheating all
the time. I am lady truth. Let's get into another
crazy cheat. The party was full of people, scattered throughout
the large suburban mansion, where twenty and thirty somethings dressed
in elaborate casual attire that was meant to look good
but not seem like they were trying to impress. They

(00:25):
were playing pool or ping pong, watching television, eating and drinking,
dancing and laughing, and everyone seemed to be having unbridled fun.
A tall, thin man with dark curly hair and a
handsome open face stood in the corner of the main
room and nervously looked over his shoulder at an aggressively tipsy,
redtted girl who was making it clear that she was

(00:45):
ready for any kind of fun at the party or afterward.
But the man only continued to nod absent mindedly, obviously
trying to disengage himself from a conversation that at another
time he might have started on his own. The last
words of an ana, an audible question, reached his mind,
and he realized he had to answer, so this is
a date. Then he looked at the redhead with a

(01:07):
somewhat panicked. Look, yeah, sure, can we take your car?
I probably shouldn't drive. He continued to search the room
over her shoulder. Hey listen, I don't mean to be rude,
but I really need to find Jason. I was wondering
if you could text me what you want to do
and i'll catch up with you later. A look of

(01:28):
surprise appeared on the red haired girl's face. Jason, Jason
bright he came to the party. I thought he became
a monk or something.

Speaker 2 (01:37):
Yeh.

Speaker 1 (01:38):
I talked him into coming, and now I can't find him,
so I really need At that moment, a pretty blond
woman with curly hair walked by, and the man suddenly
jerked slightly in her direction.

Speaker 2 (01:50):
Hey Hey, Cara, Hey Cara.

Speaker 1 (01:52):
The blonde turned and a wide smile lit up her face.
She nodded at the beer in his hand and raised
her eyebrows expectantly. Hey Brian, did you bring one of
those beers for me? He threw her an incredulous look,
as if he didn't realize what she'd said, and then
abruptly dropped his own question. Hey, where's Jason? I went

(02:14):
to get a beer and I haven't been able to
find him since. The blonde smile faded and she gestured
to a room off to the side. He was in
the entertainment room about fifteen minutes ago. You can check
in there, she smiled again.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
Why is he your beau or something.

Speaker 1 (02:31):
Brian gave her an appraising look and gave a short
snort of laughter. You'd like that, wouldn't you, Kara, Well,
no such luck. It just took me forever to convince
him to come have fun, so I'm a little nervous
about him having a good time. He turned to the redhead,
who seemed a little upset that her dominance over Brian

(02:52):
had passed to the pretty blonde. Hey, listen, really, text
me what you want to do. I need to find
Jason Oka. The redhead pouted her lips and nodded her
head with muted enthusiasm. Okay, I'll see you after, but
Brian left before she finished, aggressively pushing his way through
the crowd toward the entertainment room, where he found a

(03:15):
dozen or so people slouched on a couch, seeing Indian
style on the floor, or sprawled around while a music
video played on the big screen TV that took up
the entire room. He took a quick look around, then
caught the eye of a jolly fat man who was
swaying awkwardly to the beat of the music, holding a
drink in one hand and potato chips in the other. Hey, Bud,

(03:37):
have you seen Jason Jason? Yeah, Jason Bright he was
here a couple minutes ago. Oh yeah, man, I'm pretty
sure he left. Got up all of a sudden and
jumped out of here like he was throwing up or something.
Walked out of the room. No, man, right out the
front door. Brian stood for a minute, shaking his head slowly,

(04:00):
trying to comprehend what the fat man had said. What White,
What the hell happened? I don't know. When the game
was over, we changed the channel to some movie and
watched it for a couple of minutes, and then he
just got up and left.

Speaker 2 (04:15):
A movie. What movie?

Speaker 1 (04:17):
Oh, you know, an old one with Dustin Hoffman, the Graduate.
But we hardly watched it because it was at the
very end when we turned on the TV. At the end, yeah,
you know, that whole wedding scene when Hoffman comes in
and hits the glass and the girl runs off with him.
Brian's face began to Redden, starting with a faint pink

(04:37):
hue and rapidly progressing until he looked like a tomato
with human features. He then began to slowly throw words
at the fat man, carefully enunciating them with increasing force
and volume for maximum effect. You tuned into a movie
where the bride leaves the groom for another man at
the Gottam Alder, and Jason Bright sits back and watches

(04:58):
the first time he's been out of his shabby little
apartment in months. You're a bigger idiot than I can imagine.
Jason Bright lay on his side, admiring his sleeping bride.
She was breathing quietly and rhythmically, and each exhalation of
air from her mouth gently ruffled the mop of straw
blonde hair that fell across her face. To most observers,

(05:19):
Penny Miller was a small, attractive woman, several pounds overweight
and with facial features too coarse to be considered classically beautiful.
But here, in the rays of the morning sun falling
on her pure, pale skin and giving it a certain
radiant translucency, she seemed to Jason like an absolute angel,
a gift of love from God.

Speaker 2 (05:39):
Himself.

Speaker 1 (05:40):
By all accounts, Bright had been extremely successful in life
up to this point. He had done well in high school,
excelling in sports and academics, graduating with top grades and
then earning near perfect grades and a double major in
finance and statistics before becoming an economics major at the
Chicago Business School. After that, he easily landed a job

(06:02):
with one of Chicago's top trading firms and moved steadily
up the corporate ladder, getting more and more responsibility and
more and more money. But he never felt like life
was working out the way he wanted it to until
he met Penny. And that was because despite all his
success in business and sports, he'd never had anything resembling
a satisfying romantic relationship. In high school, he'd been a

(06:26):
nervous teenager around girls, overly anxious, completely clueless about how
to approach them, to talk to them, let alone start
a relationship. He'd gained some confidence in college when a
couple of aggressive girls saw him as a good guy
and didn't let his insecurities get in the way, but
it still only led to a string of superficial hookups

(06:47):
that didn't lead to anything significant. In Jason's opinion, and
that pattern seemed to continue in business school and for
a few years at his new job. But then he
met Penny, and everything changed. She was easy to be with, lively, talkative, attractive,
without pretense or vanity. She wanted quiet, peaceful evenings, a

(07:07):
house with a fence and kids, and Jason wanted her,
and so, with a sense of comfortable inevitability, their relationship
smoothly developed and strengthened, and so On a warm summer
evening in a small park by the lake, Jason got
down on one knee and with trembling hands, held out
the ring to Penny, who accepted it with tears, a smile,

(07:28):
and an enthusiastic hug. In the eight months since plans
had been made, invitations sent out, dresses chosen, and a
church reserved in Penny's hometown in southern Illinois for a
date that was only six days away. They drove down
I fifty five highway, listening to music and chatting with Penny,
occasionally texting friends or family to update them on their

(07:51):
progress towards Centerville or to make wedding arrangements. About half
an hour into the drive, she quieted down a bit
and Jason watched her gaze wistfully at the scenery passing by.
After a couple minutes, he decided to break the silence.
Are you okay, sweetheart? Problems with the cater or something else?
She looked back at him with a slight expression of

(08:13):
confused surprise, as if she'd been caught doing something inappropriate.
Oh no, no, it's just I guess I was just
thinking about getting home and all the ghosts and problems
I left behind. Jason scowled an incredulous grimace in response.
Ghosts problems? What are you talking about, Penny Sighe melancholic,

(08:34):
and stared absent mindedly out the window for a while
before answering, well, it's really not a big deal, Jace.
But well, you know, some of my old friends and
some of my family had a certain idea of who
I should be with and there not be very supportive
of the wedding and all that.

Speaker 2 (08:51):
That's about it.

Speaker 1 (08:52):
Wait, you mean your family doesn't like me. I thought
we got along really well when they came to visit
both times. I actually had a great time with your dad.
Did I misunderstand something? Penny shook her head decisively. Oh no, no,
not at all. My parents love you. They think you're wonderful.

(09:13):
They really do. She paused, chewing on her lower lip
for a moment before continuing, But, like I said, some
old friends and relatives, well they still think that. Penny
stopped and looked out the window before finishing her thought, Look, Penny,
what's your point. You seem to think I should know
what the problem is, But I really have no idea.

(09:34):
What the hell you're talking about. Penny let out an
intermittent sigh. Look, Jase, this this is about Kenny. Jason
glanced at Penny, then shifted his gaze back to the road.
What about him? I mean, it's been over between you
two for about five years now, right, Why has it
become an issue now? Unless you haven't told me anything.

(09:56):
Penny shook her head and then paradoxically nodded her face,
showing a mixture of concern, confusion, and disappointment. No, well, yeah,
sort of. Look, Jace, I told you everything that was
important about me and Kenny, that we got really serious
in high school, that we were going to get married,
and that it just it just didn't work out. Penny paused,

(10:20):
chewing her lip again a look of uncertainty. Back on
her face. Jason shrubbed and raised his eyebrows in an
expectant gesture before Penny continued again, to tell you the truth.
A few of my friends seemed to be very interested
in our relationship. They thought about them still do, like
some kind of romantic fairy tale. And they keep pushing

(10:42):
me to give Kenny another chance. They tell me that
he's changed, that we're meant to be together, and stuff
like that. Jason pressed his lips together in thoughtfulness and
subconsciously added speed, quickly overtaking the car in the slow lane.
So what are you trying to tell me? That I
have to compete with your ex a week before our wedding?

(11:02):
Is that what you're saying? Penny clenched her hands in
annoyance and pressed them to her eyes. No, no, it's
not That's not what I'm trying to tell you at all.
She lowered her hands and looked at Jason, seriously, waiting
for him to take his eyes off the road and
look at her before starting again. It's just some of them,
a few friends, especially Theresa, might try to, I don't know,

(11:26):
try to push us together or treat you badly or something,
And I just wanted you to be prepared, that's all Terresa.
Isn't she one of your bridesmaids? You asked someone who
doesn't doesn't want us to get married to be in
the wedding party. Isn't that a little weird? Penny frowned. Well,
I understand what you're saying, but Teresa was my best

(11:47):
friend and I feel I, don't know, obligated to be
a bridesmaid. I mean, I was at her wedding, and
it would be rude, I guess if she wasn't one
of mine. She turned to face Jason and glared at him,
asking him to understand her, but he only stared at
her dumbly, then turned away to the road for a
few moments to calm down. Finally, after several minutes of silence,

(12:12):
he let out a long sigh and turned to Penny again,
displaying the most reassuring smile he was capable of. Listen, Penny,
I'm in this for the long haul. If there are
people who want to complicate things, I can live with that.
As long as you're on my side, As long as
we both have each other's backs. What could go wrong?

(12:32):
After all, it's just you and me and no one else.
Can hurt us, right, so so just stop worrying. I'll
be on my best behavior, be as charming as I can,
and bite my tongue when I have to. I'll do
my best to make sure everyone in Centreville realizes that
you made the right choice, and if I can't, so
what their opinion means nothing. In the end, all nervousness

(12:56):
vanished from Penny's face, and she leaned against Jason's shoulder
with a satisfied smile as he continued to drive. By
the time they pulled into Penny's childhood home, a two
story farmhouse on the outskirts of Centerville, set in a
quiet neighborhood with large, unfenced yards and dominated by old
maples and oaks, it was almost dusk. They barely made

(13:18):
it a few feet down the driveway when Penny's mother,
an exuberant woman with graying hair and a pleasant face,
squealed with delight, arms outstretched, approaching her daughter like a
giggling middle aged rocket seeking warmth from the front door. Penny,
how is my beautiful girl doing my blushing bride to bee,
she exclaimed, drawing her to her with soft hands and

(13:41):
enveloping her in a mist of sweet perfume, kissing her cheek.
She held her tightly against her for a few moments,
savoring the feel of her daughter in her arms, and
then reluctantly released her to turn her attention to her
future son in law. And how are you doing, Jason?
I'm so happy to see you. You look so good,
so handsome. She gave him a brief hug, and then

(14:03):
led them down the walkway to the door. Come on in,
Daddy's waiting for you inside, and dinners almost ready, and
we have.

Speaker 2 (14:11):
A lot to talk about.

Speaker 1 (14:12):
Daddy was Penny's father, a quiet, serious man who rose
from the couch as they entered the house to greet
his daughter with a light hug and Jason with a
firm handshakee while Mom went into the kitchen to start
spreading food on the table. After a few minutes of
small talk, he led them to the table and with
a look of domestic authority, showed them where to sit,

(14:34):
said a brief greeting, and nodded his head toward the food.
Pork chops, salad, and a plate of mashed potatoes, a
dinner for for that could feed ten. The conversation at
dinner was almost exclusively about the wedding and was dominated
by the women, who enthusiastically discussed seating arrangements, plans for dresses, photographers, music,

(14:54):
and menus for the reception. When Penny mentioned that everyone
should stand in the correct places, tor ring the ceremony,
Mamma Miller's face took on an expression of pained surprise,
as if she had suddenly remembered some unpleasant detail that
needed to be taken care of, and she turned to Jason. Jason, honey,
when is your daddy coming?

Speaker 2 (15:13):
What night?

Speaker 1 (15:14):
Jason set his fork aside and finished swallowing his potatoes.
I'm pretty sure he's flying into Saint Louis Thursday afternoon,
so he should be here by Thursday night for the
rehearsal dinner. Mom's face suddenly darkened and looked like she
was about to cry, and her voice took on a
tinge of extreme distress. Oh, Jason, I'm so sorry. I oh,

(15:36):
I was afraid of this. Oh no, oh God. Her
words grew softer and softer as she spoke, until they
became a faint whisper and then disappeared altogether. Jason looked
at Penny for a clue as to how to respond,
but she only shrugged, so he turned to Mamma Miller
again and tried to catch her gaze, furrowing his brow

(15:57):
and sympathy. Look, whatever the problem is, I don't think
it's going to be a big one. I'm sure it'll
be fine. Just just tell me what's wrong. The older
woman shook her head and put a hand to her
mouth to hide the wrinkle on her chin that always
appeared before she cried, and took a few moments to
calm down before answering Jason. They told me last week

(16:21):
that there was a mix up and the country club
wouldn't be open on Thursday, so so I told them
we could reschedule the rehearsal dinner for Wednesday. Claris decided
that would be fine too, made some calls, and rescheduled
the party for Thursday. Jason felt so relieved at the
triviality of the problem that he even laughed out loud,

(16:41):
then reached across the table to stroke her arm and
began to comfort her. It's not a problem at all.
My dad prefers to stay away from public gatherings, so
he won't mine, and I'm sure the photographer and the
stewardess will tell him where to stand or sit on Saturday. Really,
it'll be fine. Penny's mom took a deep breath and

(17:01):
let out a quiet sigh of relief. Are you sure, Jason,
I don't want anyone to feel left out. Oh, I'm
very sure, very he'll be fine. He gave her the
most conciliatory, reassuring smile. But what kind of or what
parties on Thursday are you talking about? I don't remember

(17:21):
any party. He looked back and forth between Penny and
her mom for clarification. Well, a bachelor and bachelorette party,
of course. Isn't your best man, your friend Brian is
He didn't he have a party plan?

Speaker 2 (17:35):
Yes? I think he did.

Speaker 1 (17:37):
I told him to keep it low key, nothing flashy.
I'm not a big drinker, and I wouldn't want to
throw a big senduff. But even if I did, most
of my friends won't show up until Saturday for the wedding,
so I didn't think it would be a bachelor party,
just a little get together. Jason absent mindedly rubbed his

(17:57):
chin and looked at Penny, then back it. M. I
hadn't thought about it, but I guess Penny's having a
bachelorette party. Mom glared again. Yes, Theresa is taking care
of that, and she's really really excited. I think you
guys are going to have a lot of fun. Becky'ed
and Bob will be there, Susie and her husband, and

(18:18):
of course Theresa and Tim and lots more. I understand
all your old high school friends want to see you.
Jason smiled at missus Miller's enthusiasm and shifted his gaze
carelessly to Penny. She stared at her mother, her face
an uncomfortable, stiff mask with a drawn smile, a weak
attempt to hide that this new event was a problem

(18:40):
for her. Jason felt something stirring inside him, something unsettling.
The rehearsal dinner was just beginning, and Jason already felt
like leaving. For two days, he'd felt like he'd been
on display to Penny Miller's old friends, not particularly looking
like the new ring she wore, subjected to admit hiring
glances or squeals of delight, and occasional relatively hidden looks

(19:04):
of vague disapproval or even resentment, and this dinner only
promised more of the same. The main problem was Theresa Southern,
a tall, attractive woman with a somewhat regal officious demeanor
who sat upright at the table with her heavily tipsy husband, Tim,
a thick, ruddy man with slicked back hair and lamb chops. Theresa,
who'd led the cheerleading squad in high school and somehow

(19:27):
managed to maintain her authority a decade later, was Penny's
self proclaimed best friend forever, and seemed to steer the
dinner conversation like a talent contest judge, determining which topics
were appropriate and which jokes were funny. Jason had met
Theresa the day after arriving in Centreville, and she had
been an omnipresentyrtant ever since, subtly and sometimes not so subtly,

(19:49):
manipulating wedding plans, dinners, and general entertainment, inviting or not
inviting friends to this or that event, coaxing Penny to
follow her ideas about appropriate attire, speech, and company. But
the most annoying and disturbing event was when Theresa dragged Kenny,
the high school soccer star, prom king and Penny's former boyfriend,

(20:09):
into the social program, including dinner and a group movie
the night before. Kenny was a gruff country boy with
a square jaw, a smile full of bright white teeth,
thick wheat colored hair, and a murmuring, ingratiating voice. Jason
had found him affable and chatty, and perhaps he might
have been relatable if he hadn't been the central figure

(20:30):
in Teresa's apparent desire to celebrate Penny's high school past
without Jason. But now Kenny was sitting next to Teresa,
smiling broadly, shaking his head and giggling at every story
resurrected from the group's collective history, and they all involved
him and Penny, and it had become almost unbearable. So
he chewed his chicken slowly as he listened to yet

(20:51):
another story being retold in an almost feverish tone by
the petite shawl from Penny's school days sitting next to Teresa.
The cur memory concerned a chapter of an old, apparently
epic romance between Penny and Kenny, this time the story
of Kenny hiring a horse and baby carriage to take
Penny to prom and style. Penny blushed, Kenny glowed with delight,

(21:14):
and Jason felt a vague growing sense of nausea, threatening
to send some of the rubberized chicken back into his plate.
Oh and Penny was wearing that old fashioned hooped dress. Remember,
she was just gorgeous. She fluttered and twirled on the
dance floorli like she'd just come off the set of
Gun with the wind. She paused, almost out of breath,

(21:35):
swallowing nervously, looking around the table, obviously making sure the
group approved of the story, before continuing, her voice even
higher than before. And Kenny, he was wearing an old
style black tuxedo and a hat and dancing this old
waltz were something. After they were announced, King and Queen
Theresa nodded toward Penny and gestured at her with her fork,

(21:57):
smiling sentimentally. No one ever ever looked prettier or happier
than you that night, girl. She looked back and forth
between Penny and Kenny. You two were gorgeous. The other
women at the table shouted in agreement. Penny blushed nervously,
and Kenny glared, and for once he had nothing to
add to the growing cacophony of voices describing the different

(22:20):
perspectives on that particular dance, on that particular prom night
by then Jason was completely lost in his own thoughts,
trying his best to disengage himself from the ongoing conversation
to maintain some sense of calm. He looked around the room,
noticed Penny's parents at another table, and wished he'd sat
with them instead of Penny's friends. For a moment, he

(22:42):
noticed the decorations and wondered why Penny had chosen green
and yellow, even though her favorite color was royal blue.
But then he realized that those were the Centerville High
School colors Theresa had chosen. Finally, he returned his gaze
to the animated faces of the men and women at
his table, experiencing an overwhelming sense of isolation, an outsider

(23:04):
at his own party. I'm sorry they may have gotten
a little carried away, he barely heard the voice over
the noise and his own detachment from the conversation. He
turned to his right to meet his gaze with the speaker,
a plump, freckled woman with brown, curly hair, squinted eyes
and a crooked smile.

Speaker 2 (23:23):
What did you say?

Speaker 1 (23:24):
She nodded across the table toward Teresa. I'm sorry she
kind of took over everything. It's just well, she knows everyone,
hears so well, and they are all so close. I
don't think she wanted to cut you out of everything.
Jason felt the tension subside and smiled, Yeah, I understand that.

Speaker 2 (23:44):
I think I do.

Speaker 1 (23:46):
It's just a little hard to join her when I
don't know any of the stories, and I guess I'm
thinking about other things. The Brunnett continued to smile, like
about your upgoming wedding. Jason snorted with laughter, yeah. Like, well,
my name is Betsy, Betsy Palmer. I don't know if
you remember, Jason interrupted, Yes, yes, I met you yesterday

(24:09):
at the mall.

Speaker 2 (24:10):
I remember.

Speaker 1 (24:10):
They were still engaged in casual introductory conversation for a
few more minutes, when from across the table, Jason heard
his name mentioned in some question. Looking around, he realized
with slight bewilderment, that Theresa was addressing him. I'm sorry, Teresa,
what did you say there? I didn't hear you. Teresa
smiled serenely at Jason.

Speaker 2 (24:32):
I asked.

Speaker 1 (24:33):
She began emphasizing the word asked, with a tinge of
annoyance at having to repeat the question. If you could
tell the rest of us exactly what you do it
seemed to Penny that you'd rather explain. Feeling the blood
rushed to his face from the unexpected attention, Jason began
to stammer as he tried to explain, well, I compile

(24:54):
and manipulate economic models using a variety of new and
advanced analytical techniques to help our our firm make investment
and marketing recommendations for our clients. Everyone stared at him
with blank stares in response to his answer, Well, that's
clear as mud, Kenny stated, half laughing. Jason looked at Penny,
who smiled at him and nodded her head, encouraging him

(25:17):
to continue explaining. He smiled back, and, still a little embarrassed,
try it again. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's really not
that complicated. I'm just mathematically evaluating the situation to help
our clients and other companies and investment institutions to figure
out what to do with their products or whether they

(25:37):
should issue stock, and things like that. This explanation elicited murmurs,
half smiles and nods, but the room was suddenly quiet,
and Jason felt an urgent need to fill the air.
He took a deep breath, pulled on his best fake
smile and turned in what he hoped was an interested
voice to Kenny, who seemed more than surprised to hear
Jason's question. So, Kenny, Penny, he tells me, you work

(26:01):
at the Ford dealership we drove past when we came
into town.

Speaker 2 (26:05):
Do you like the job? Is it a good job?

Speaker 1 (26:08):
Kenny raised his eyebrows, which gave away his suspiciousness, and
began to answer in a quiet and slow voice, choosing
his words carefully.

Speaker 2 (26:17):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (26:17):
Yeah, it's a good job. I think it is. It's
a lot of work sometimes, but I I like it.
So you're in sales selling cars? Kenny's tone changed abruptly.
His answer was harsh, tinged with anger and resentment. No, no,
I'm not a salesman, he replied, emphasizing the word not
through clenched teeth. I'm one of the manager's. I'm not

(26:41):
just in the business of selling cars much more. There
was an awkward, embarrassed silence, and Jason felt all eyes
in the room on him, sensing that he had made
a terrible social mistake, but not realizing what it was
or what exactly to do about it. I'm sorry, I
I didn't mean anything by it. I'm sorry, he stuttered,

(27:02):
opening his hands in a peace sign and smiling weakly.
He was somewhat relieved when Kenny smiled back and muttered
it's okay. Tightly pressed together on the double bed and
Penny's old bedroom, with moonlight streaming in through the open
window and casting ill defined ghostly shadows, Penny and Jason
lay in each other's arms, recounting the events of the

(27:23):
evening and conducting a post murdom of the rehearsal dinner.
They both agreed that it had been more than they
had realized. Too much food, too many people, too much noise,
and too too much tension. What was that cool asshole's
reaction to being asked if he sells cars? He practically
exploded in there. I wanted to melt in my chair,

(27:45):
and I'm sure I wasn't the only one. Penny pressed
her lips together in thoughtfulness and stared unceasingly at the ceiling,
formulating a response. Kenny has some baggage, Jace. You have
to realize that it's not his fault, he blew up.

Speaker 2 (28:00):
Not really.

Speaker 1 (28:01):
Jason rolled over onto his side and looked intently at Penny,
his eyebrows furrowed in concern and frustration. He interrupted her
with a harsh, business like voice, from which the warmth
had faded away, replaced by irritation and annoyance. Wait, are
you saying this is my fault? Honestly, I don't understand
what I did that was so bad. Seriously, I didn't

(28:24):
realize he'd turn out to be so damn sensitive. I
wasn't trying to make him look or feel bad or
make a scene. I was just trying to make conversation
by asking a completely frivolous question. Penny gave Jason a
half smile and turned to face him, lifting a hand
to stroke his cheek as she formulated a response. Jace,

(28:44):
It's not your fault at all, kid, It's just that
you have to understand Penny his insecurities. Come on, Penny,
we all have insecurities, but we have to live with them.
You can't just blow up every time someone says something
that bothers you. He didn't really explode that much, she
started to reply. Jason raised his eyebrows incredulously and had

(29:08):
already opened his mouth to interrupt her, but Penny changed tact. Listen,
here's the deal. Kenny's always been the big man. On campus,
the best athlete, the most popular guy, all that kind
of stuff, but all of that ended after graduation. He
didn't get the soccer scholarship he wanted, which meant he
didn't get into college, or get the job he wanted,

(29:30):
or the girl he wanted, Jason interrupted him sharply, or
the girl he wanted. Don't get mad about my friends, please,
Jason wrinkled his nose slightly and smiled weakly. I'm not mad, really,
I just feel like I don't know that you still
have a connection with Kenny. I almost feel like I should.

(29:51):
Penny raised her eyebrows, like, you know what, I don't know,
compete for you or something. It's driving me crazy, I guess.
Penny Lee's facial expression turned incredulous, her mouth opening in surprise,
before she replied, come on, you don't have to compete
for me. I'm yours. You know that. Why do you

(30:11):
get that impression? Jason pressed his lips together and furrowed
his brows before giving a hesitant, confused answer, I don't know.

Speaker 2 (30:19):
I guess.

Speaker 1 (30:20):
I guess when Kenny showed up with that girl last
night and tonight, I thought he was trying to make
you jealous. And from the way you reacted, it looked
like it worked like you were upset that he was
paying attention to another girl or something. I know you
were very serious, but it seems like, at least for Kenny,
he never got over his feelings. Penny pressed her lips

(30:43):
together in a thoughtful expression before replying her speech, deliberate,
her words carefully chosen. Listen, Jason, you know that Kenny
and I have been together for a long time, right
from when I was a freshman in high school until
a couple years after I graduated. Jason nodded his head. Yeah,
you told me that. Well, I told you we were

(31:03):
thinking about getting married, and it's true. We did plan it.
We had a honeymoon and everything, but after I graduated,
things fell apart a little bit. Kenny wasn't really interested
in white collar jobs. He just wanted to stay here
and live the small town life and do small town things,
and I wanted to go to college and get some

(31:25):
kind of degree. We had a few disagreements, but eventually
I left for college and he stayed here. We were
still together. I'd come up on weekends, we'd spend holidays together,
but he started getting jealous Jason shrugged an acknowledgment. I
know the feeling. Penny smiled and continued. He started coming

(31:45):
to campus and kind of catching up with me at
off hours. He said he was just trying to surprise me,
but really he was testing me. In fact, a couple
times I caught him blatantly spying on me. Anyway, it
all ended one night in the library. I was in
a study group and was sorting through some essay questions

(32:06):
with a guy when he put his hand on mine,
sort of flirting, but nothing much. Turns out, Kenny was
hiding behind some bookshelves. He came out and told the
guy to get his hands off me. I was shocked,
and Kenny and I got into a huge fight right
in the library. I ended up taking the ring off
and throwing it at him, told him not to hit

(32:27):
on me again and to stay away. You never told
me that before?

Speaker 2 (32:32):
Was that it then? Was it over? At that point? Well?

Speaker 1 (32:35):
We talked on the phone and went out once or
twice after that, but it wasn't the same. I moved on,
I met you, and here we are. She wrapped her
arms around Jason and pulled him tightly to her, pressed
her lips to his ear and whispered, and now it's
just you and me here. Kenny's just an old friend, Ok,

(32:55):
baby O K. He felt her rhythmic breathing on his
chest a few minutes later as she fell asleep, and
he was left lying sleepless, staring up at the ceiling.
John Raymond Bright was a stout man with a weathered face,
with a square jaw and hair the color of salt
and pepper cut into a bob. He sat between his
son and Jason's best man, Brian Hewitt, a handsome and

(33:18):
stout man with curly hair and a mischievous smile. At
the only bar in Centerville that served food. It was
a sports bar where rock and roll played loud enough
to keep the conversation strained. Jason described the events of
the week, including Kenny's temper tantrum during the rehearsal dinner,
and rubbed the stubble on his head with a meaty hand. God,

(33:40):
what a freak, he said in a loud, gravelly, no
holds barred voice, reaching for his beer. I mean, he
sounds like a total freak. Brian laughed in agreement and
took a bite out of his hamburger and Jason just shrugged.

Speaker 2 (33:55):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (33:55):
Maybe, but in away, Dad, you didn't miss much. I'm
sure you'd find it pretty boring. Yeah, I guess, so,
said John, finishing his fries. You'd probably end up embarrassing
yourself anyway, So it's okay. Jason started to object, but
John stopped him with a raised hand. It's okay, Jace,
we both know that this, he pointed to the bar

(34:18):
scene surrounding them, is the best I can do. And
Jason sipped his beer and swirled it around in his
mouth before swallowing, Yeah, I'm okay with that too, Dad,
better than last night and away. John Bright looked at
his son carefully, then gestured toward the bar again. Is
that all you wanted for your bachelor party? A couple

(34:39):
hours in a sports bar eating hamburgers with that smiling
fool and your old man. No dancing girls or anything.
Jason shook his head vigorously. No, Dad, it's okay. It's
just the way it is. And honestly, even if I
wanted dancing girls or something, well, it's a small town
and rumors would it spread. I wouldn't want to start

(35:02):
my marriage off on the wrong foot, you know, Yeah,
I know, John nodded, taking a bite out of his hamburger.

Speaker 2 (35:09):
I know.

Speaker 1 (35:10):
The three men spent another hour at the bar, talking, joking,
drinking beer, and watching the soccer game on the big
screen TV behind the bar, before the conversation dried up
and they mutually decided to call at a night. In
the parking lot, Jason waved goodbye to Brian and got
behind the wheel of his car, while his father grunted
and moved into the passenger seat. Both men seemed immersed

(35:33):
in their own thoughts as Jason drove the car out
of the parking lot and down the highway to John's hotel.

Speaker 2 (35:40):
Neither spoke.

Speaker 1 (35:41):
Both stared at the highway, both wearing masks of people
who don't really see anything. After a few minutes, however,
John began to fidget. He opened his mouth several times,
cleared his throat, and glanced at Jason, showing all the
typical signs of wanting to talk but not really saying anything. Finally,
a mile or two before the hotel, John officially broke

(36:04):
the silence. Big Day on Saturday, Son, Big Day, you ready.
Jason cast a brief glance at his father, then shifted
his eyes back to the road. I'm ready, Dad, really ready.
In fact, I can't wait to get married, to be
a husband, to be a father. You're going to be
a great son, wonderful. John took his gaze away from

(36:27):
his son, and his voice softened and took on an
awkward tone, precisely a mumble. Sure, sure, much better than
I was. Jason quickly looked back at his father. Now, Dad, no, no, son,
it's true. John raised his hand to interrupt Jason. We
both know I've been a shitty father.

Speaker 2 (36:47):
We both know that.

Speaker 1 (36:49):
Hell, your mother and I split up when you were
what three years old, and I barely saw you until
John paused for a moment, looking away and taking a
couple deep breaths. No, you had a hard time, son,
when your mom was in a car accident, and you
stayed with me, really hard. In the darkness, Jason could
make out his father bringing his right hand up to

(37:10):
his eyes to wipe something away, then cleared his throat
and swallowed hard a few times before starting again. So
I'm happy for you, son, damn happy you have a
girl you love. Happy that I can be here to
see it. Jason nodded his head as he pulled into
the hotel parking lot and stopped the car, then turned
to look at his father. Dad, I'm glad you're here too,

(37:33):
really glad you are my family. I couldn't have done
it without you. John Bright turned to face his son,
and for the first time in his life, Jason saw
the tears on his father's cheeks and heard his rough,
gravelly voice break as he spoke, Look, son, I just
want you to know how sorry I am that after
your mother died you were left with a scoundrel like me. Hell, Jason,

(37:56):
I could barely take care of myself, let alone an
eleven years old boy. John paused to wipe away his tears,
but now they were streaming down his face, and his
voice was higher and more ragged as he finished his thought,
I I want you to know how how much I
loved having you around, even if it didn't feel that
way at first. How much I loved watching you play

(38:18):
those games and go to school. God, you were such
a hard worker, working part time and still getting great
grades and the honors you got and the college scholarship
you got. And then then you worked your ass off again,
and then you found this great job. I just I
just want you to know that you deserve to marry
a great girl, and that that I'm damn proud of you, son,

(38:40):
damn proud. And now Jason was crying too, and both
men sat in silence, each resting his right hand on
the other's left shoulder and looking at each other without
a shadow of discomfort, until John finally opened the door
and headed across the half flit parking lot to his
motel room. Theresa Jones's parents own perhaps the largest house

(39:01):
in Centreville, a huge Georgian mansion on several acres of land,
with half a dozen bedrooms, a recreation room, a library,
and a huge living room. That evening, the living room
had been taken over by a dozen young women who
were now lounging on the sofa or sitting cross legged
on the floor, giggling, telling stories, drinking wine, and squealing

(39:21):
with delight and embarrassment as the birthday girl opened her gifts,
Penny being the bride to be, and the celebrant was
smiling just as wide and laughing just as loudly as
everyone else present. Surrounded by a pile of gifts and lingerie,
she was in her element and felt at ease and
at ease with her old friends, but just at that moment,

(39:42):
a drunken request to model some of the lingerie turned
into a demanding shutting match that was picked up by
all the women. Penny, blushing furiously and shaking her head,
did her best to talk them out of it, until
she realized they weren't going to be refused. With embarrassed hesitation,
she took the donated linens and headed down the hall
to the only bedroom on the main floor. She spread

(40:05):
the outfits out on the bed and stroked her cheek thoughtfully,
trying to decide which one would be the least humiliating,
finally settling on the baby doll that came with the
sea through wrap, the most modest one possible. She took
her time putting it on and examining herself from every
angle in the floor to ceiling mirror, before returning to
the hallway to an anxious flock of noisy women who

(40:27):
welcomed her back with the kind of shouts, hooting and
hollering that usually occurred in a strip club. Penny laughed nervously, and,
though embarrassed, tried to play her part properly, posing as
attractively as possible in front of the rowdy women. Most
of the women responded with laughter and applause, but Teresa,
more than a little tipsy, began shouting for more. Show

(40:50):
us another one, Penny, show us another one. Not Surprisingly,
her request was picked up by the rest of the women,
but this time Penny held firm and shook her head,
trying her best to kindly refuse the women, who let
out a disappointed groan as she eventually retreated down the
halt of the bedroom. Just as Penny entered the bedroom,

(41:10):
there was a knock on the front door, and then
Teresa's laughter and squeals heralded the arrival of three men
carrying conciliatory gifts of champagne and vodka to appease the
hostess for crashing the party. With minimal objections, Tersa led
them into the room, where the first to Bill Jenkins,
a short, pot blowed man with a cherubic face and
horn rimmed glasses, and Tom Anders, a taller and leaner

(41:34):
version of Bill but with even less facial hair, walked
to the back of the room to chat with their girlfriends.
The third man was Kenny Bailey, who immediately asked Teresa
where Penny was quietly explaining that he had brought her
a gift he wanted to give her before the wedding.
When Teresa said that Penny was changing in the bedroom
and would be out soon, Kenny immediately began organizing the

(41:56):
entire group into a choir that would sing the school
fight song for Penny when she returned. But upon returning
to the bedroom, Penny heard additional noise as the men appeared,
and assumed it was just the women playing another game
or telling some particularly crude joke. Her return to the
family room was delayed by the nagging thought that she
was acting like a stick in the mud, and she

(42:18):
began discussing with herself whether she should give the girls
what they wanted and model some rougher underwear. In the end,
she decided to have some fun and go all the way.
She burst into the room with a giggle. To her disappointment,
she noticed a complete lack of reaction from the audience.
The women stood with surprised or even shocked faces, saying nothing,

(42:40):
some of them just opening and closing their mouths, and
some of them almost frantically pointing at something or someone
at the edge of the room. And that someone was
three men, Bill and Tom stood with their mouths open,
with Bill's glass slipping out of his hands and shattering
on the floor, and Tom nervously wiping swet from his forek.
Kenny grinned like a cheshire cat and nodded lustfully, then

(43:04):
began a slow rhythmic clapping of hands and appreciation. Penny
cried out loudly, then turned and ran down the hallway
to the bedroom. She lay on the bed, staring at
the ceiling, frozen with embarrassment for about half an hour,
until Theresa came in to gently persuade her to return
to the party. By the time Penny returned to the
living room, there were only a few girls left sitting

(43:27):
around the coffee table, finishing the rest of their wine
and talking quietly. Kenny was still there, half reclining on
the couch with his usual mischievous grin. He waved at her,
and she reluctantly made her way through the obstacle course
of furniture and presence, groaning as she sat down next
to him, covering her eyes with her hands and resting

(43:47):
her elbows on her knees. God, that was so so humiliating.
I just can't believe it happened. I'll never forget it
as long as I live. Kenny laughed encouragingly, patted her back,
and leaned over to whisper. If it's any consolation, I'll
never forget it either. Honestly, I only wish I had
a camera to capture this moment for posterity. Penny covered

(44:10):
her face and looked at Kenny, throwing him a brief
look of unrestrained disgust, but his smirk turned into an
indignant grin, and she laughed and leaned back, relaxed slightly
on the back of the couch. Well, I should have
known you had that attitude, she stated, with mock indignation,
playfully punching him on the shoulder. Seriously, someone should have

(44:32):
warned me about you breaking into the party. I was terrified.
In response, Henny shrugged, laughed, and made a big, open
armed gesture toward Penny and the other girls. Surprise is
my secret weapon Without it, Look how many wonderful things
I'd miss out on. The two excess and the remnants
of the party told jokes and racy stories for an

(44:53):
hour until the conversation became quiet and contemplative. Finally, Penny
yawned and stretched before to clar wearing that she wanted
to go to bed and should go home, and Teresa
hesitantly got up to get her keys in response, but
Kenny laughed at Teresa's tentative attempts to get up and
insisted on driving Penny home, to which Penny enthusiastically agreed.

(45:14):
Teresa smiled and nodded, then sank awkwardly on to the couch,
watching the two leave together with approval. Conversation during the
ride home was light and casual, full of observations on
the dating and marriage habits of their old friends and
reminiscences of days and events of years passed. Two blocks
from Penny's house, Kenny pulled off the road and parked

(45:36):
the car near the tall hedge that blocked it from
the windows of the houses. What what are we doing here,
Penny's voice sounded suspicious. I I have something for you,
replied Kenny, unbuckling his seat belt and turned to her,
pulling her closer. Penny raised her hand to stop him
and shook her head decisively. No, Kenny, No, I'm getting

(45:58):
married in two days, and I'm not going to park
here and whisper with you for old time's sake. It's
just not She stopped abruptly, noticing Kenny holding out a
small wooden box with stains and slightly rusted hinges, offering
it as a gift. What what's this, she asked?

Speaker 2 (46:17):
Open it. Henny's voice was soft but insistent. Please.

Speaker 1 (46:21):
She reached out and carefully opened the box, looking at
the contents in the dim light of the car with surprise.
This is Wait, this can't be, she muttered, slowly, reverently
pulling out an opal pendant suspended on a thin gold chain,
and her face colored with surprise and joy. How how
I dived for it many times but could never find it.

(46:43):
Then I ordered the pond drained and searched for it
in the mud until I found it one two years
ago in the summer. Penny began awkwardly working the clasp,
trembling fingers, careful not to damage the fragile metal, opening it.
She held the necklace out in front of her, admiring
it fondly in the dim light. Why why have you

(47:04):
waited until now? Her voice was so distant, breathy, like
a little girl seeing magic for the first time. I
had this, this crazy idea that somehow we'd see each
other and maybe, I don't know, maybe get back together.
So I was saving it, saving it for that moment.
Put well, you got engaged and that put an end

(47:25):
to those plans. So I figured I could give it
to you now before you got married. Penny lifted the
chain around her neck and tried to fasten the clasp. Here,
there you are, he said softly.

Speaker 2 (47:38):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (47:39):
She breathed heavily, holding the pendant with her right hand
as if it held life itself. I love you, I've
always loved you. No, no, you haven't.

Speaker 2 (47:49):
Hi.

Speaker 1 (47:49):
I'm getting married, Kenny. I'm getting married in two days.

Speaker 2 (47:53):
And I can't. I can't do this.

Speaker 1 (47:56):
She reached behind her back, opened the door awkwardly, and
tumbled out of the car, falling to the ground. She
got up quickly, still shaking her head, and ran toward
the house, disappearing into the darkness. Twelve hours later, Penny
stood on a small stool in the middle of the
living room, mute and motionless, like a living statue, draped

(48:17):
in a flowing white on white wedding dress, while her
mother fussed around her, pulling up the sleeves, tucking the
folds of fabric, making sure the dress fit perfectly. You
certainly aren't saying much this morning. Dear, are you all right?
Penny let out aloud, unsure sigh. Yes, Mommy, I'm fine. Missus.

(48:37):
Miller cast her daughter a long, hesitant a praising look.
You don't seem fine. Is everything okay with Jason? Penny
looked down with an expression of sudden panic on her face.
Of course he's okay. Why why would he be upset?
Did he say something to you? Did he seem angry
to you this morning? No, no, honey, it it's just

(49:00):
that you seem so so quiet that I thought maybe
you talked or something. I thought that maybe maybe he
was upset that wee that your dad and I insisted
that he sleep somewhere else the night before the wedding.
I think it's a lot to ask, and maybe we
shouldn't have done it, but we just think it. It's
kind of wrong. But if it's a big problem, if

(49:21):
it's causing problems, he can sleep here tonight, honey. Penny
let out a long sigh, and her body relaxed as
she absently rubbed the opal pendant she wore around her neck. No, mom,
he he wouldn't mind, He wouldn't mind sleeping separately all week,
if that's what you wanted, Jason, Jason's a good guy, respectel.

(49:42):
Missus Miller grumbled some more, but continued to look at
her daughter with a restrained gaze.

Speaker 2 (49:48):
What is it?

Speaker 1 (49:49):
What do you have there, honey, she asked, nodding her
head toward Penny's neck. What, asked Penny guiltily, abruptly letting
go of the pendant as if it had suddenly been
come unbearably hot.

Speaker 2 (50:01):
This, this chain and stone? What is it?

Speaker 1 (50:05):
I've never seen it before, and now you're wearing it
like its surprised possession. Did Jason give it to you?
Penny pressed her lips together, delaying her answer for a moment. Kenny, Kenny,
gave it to me. Missus Miller suddenly stopped fiddling with
the dress and took a step back from Penny, resting
her hands on her hips in disapproval. You're accepting gifts

(50:27):
from old boyfriends, now from a woman who's getting married tomorrow.
Her tone was stern, accusing, and Penny responded by mirroring
her mother's gesture, hands on hits determined, serious face. It's different, mother,
it's she said, touching the stone. This is the pendant
Kenny gave me for my sixteenth birthday? What the one

(50:50):
you dropped overboard while canoeing the day after you got it?

Speaker 2 (50:54):
That one?

Speaker 1 (50:55):
I thought it was lost forever. Penny smiled, a distant
look coming to her eyes as she rolled the pendant
over in her fingers. He he found it for me.
He drained the pond and found it. He gave it
to me, gave it back to me last night.

Speaker 2 (51:11):
Mom.

Speaker 1 (51:11):
I think I think it's a wonderful gesture, don't you, missus?
Miller snorted. I think it's a gift from an old
boyfriend who still cares for you. That's what I think.
And I think you'd better be damn careful with that,
Penny boy, damn careful. He's a real charmer, a real charmer,
and you have a good man you're marrying tomorrow. Don't

(51:33):
bring an old flame into your marriage. Honey, It's not
a good thing.

Speaker 2 (51:38):
Don't do it.

Speaker 1 (51:39):
Penny frowned and answered her mother in a sharper, slightly
annoyed tone. Why do you hate Kenny so much?

Speaker 2 (51:46):
Mom?

Speaker 1 (51:47):
You've always treated him down, like he was never good
enough for me. Everyone around here loves him except you.

Speaker 2 (51:53):
Why is that.

Speaker 1 (51:55):
Missus Miller stepped toward her daughter and gently took her
left hand with both of her own. Oh, honey, I
like Kenny. I like him a lot, and and I
wouldn't mind you being with him if that's what you
really wanted. All I want is your happiness, honey, that's all.
And if you wanted to marry Kenny, that would be fine.

(52:15):
But but I have to tell you, I've always been
worried aboo tea him, worried that he didn't have the
same goals in life that you do. He's a charmer,
like I said, a boy who can create a great
romantic scene for a night or a moment, but he
doesn't have the ambition to do the day to day
work of making a comfortable life for his family. Penny frowned.

(52:37):
Is that why you marry someone?

Speaker 2 (52:39):
Mom?

Speaker 1 (52:39):
If he can make you comfortable? Is that why you
married daddy? Missus Miller smiled, No, honey, I married your
father because I love him and he loves me. But
one of the reasons I love him is because he
takes care of me every day. He works hard for
me and gives me the life I want. If Kenny
was what you want, him and the life he would

(53:01):
provide for you. Then everything would be fine, just fine.
But I have to say, I'm glad you have Jason.
He's a good man who will take care of you.
He'll make you happy for a long time. Penny nodded
and shrugged. I know that, mom, He's a wonderful man
and I love him. It's just it's just that, I

(53:21):
guess I've always had feelings for Kenny, and well being
at home with him right now it's kind of freaking
me out. You know, it's hard to completely bury an
old relationship. Missus Miller looked at Penny with sympathy and concern.
I understand, baby, I do, but you need to get
your head in order. You're getting married tomorrow, Dear. You're

(53:43):
marrying a fine young man who deserves the very best.

Speaker 2 (53:47):
Remember that.

Speaker 1 (53:48):
Penny nodded absent mindedly in agreement as she continued to
absent mindedly run her fingers over the pendant. That night,
Penny had been lying in bed for over an hour
staring at the shadow cast by the dim light of
the moon when she first heard the music. At first,
it was so quiet that she couldn't tell where it
was coming from. But as it grew stronger, a strange

(54:10):
realization came to her that the music was coming from
outside her bedroom. She carefully got out of bed and
shuffled over to the window, where she saw a group
of five musicians gathered on the lawn, two guitarists, a bassist,
and a clarientist playing an uneven, out of tune version
of Elvis's hit I Can't help falling in love with You.

(54:31):
She half expected her friends to pull some kind of
pre wedding prank and laughed as she opened the window
to chase the band away, But as she poked her
head out into the night air, there was some movement
to her right. She turned, and in the dim light,
was able to make out the figure of Kenny, sitting
cross lighted on the roof above the porch, just a

(54:51):
little away from the window. He smiled broadly and began
humming the words of the song along with the band.
Penny froze in place, seemingly able to move or speak,
listening with her mouth open to Kenny's surprised declaration of love.
When she heard her father call out to her through
the bedroom door.

Speaker 2 (55:08):
Hey, Penny, what's that noise? Is something? Going on in there.

Speaker 1 (55:13):
Penny jerked away from the window and yelled through the door, No, Dad,
it's it's just a prank. Some guy's playing music on
the lawn, that's all. Well, the hell with them, it's
past midnight, damn it. I'll go over there and chase
them away. The realization that her father might see Kenny
on the roof threw her into a panic, so she

(55:34):
stuck her head back out the window and told him
to hide where he asked, spreading his arms out in
a questioning gesture, Seeing no reasonable place to hide, and
realizing that the path back to the lawn was winding
enough that he would surely be on the lawn the
moment her father opened the front door, Penny turned to Kenny,
gritted her teeth, and headed towards her bedroom, hissing softly,

(55:57):
quick come here, hurry up. Henny responded readily and smiled,
climbing through the window and closing it softly behind him
before turning to face Penny. Hi, Penny, it's funny to
meet you here, he said, with a plom She tried
to keep a stern, disgruntled, indignant expression on her face,
but his greeting completely disarmed her. And she could only

(56:20):
laugh before sitting down on the bed and shaking her head. God, Kenny,
you're going to get me in so much trouble. Kenny
leaned back carelessly next to her, still smiling, leaning back
against the headboard of the bed and clasping his hands
behind his head with an angel face like that, you
can get out of any mass, baby, any kind of trouble.

(56:42):
You're such an asshole, Kenny. I wouldn't say that, baby,
you know I mean it. He nodded his head and
raised his eyebrows for emphasis. Then his eyes caught the
pendant around her neck and he gestured at it. You
you're wearing an opal. Penny lifted it with her hand
and looked down at me, then returned her gaze to Kenny. Yes, yes,

(57:03):
I do wear one. It's a very sweet gesture, A
lovely gesture for a friend.

Speaker 2 (57:08):
Kenny.

Speaker 1 (57:09):
Thank you, Thank you very much. Is that what we are?
Pen friends? Because the truth is, I feel differently about
you what I said last night, I meant it. I
love you, Penny, he said in a husky, huffing voice.
I love you too, she replied. When Penny awoke, she
was greeted by the soft snoring of Kenny Bailey lying

(57:31):
on his side, and her mother's voice coming through the doorway. Penny, Darling,
it's time for you to get up, honey, it's getting late. Penny,
in a sudden panic, slapped Kenny's shoulder several times to
wake him up, and then quickly covered his mouth with
her hands as he spoke, gesturing frantically toward the bedroom
door and his mother's voice.

Speaker 2 (57:51):
Penny, did you hear me?

Speaker 1 (57:53):
Yes, Mom, I'll be right out, honey. I have your
dress here. Let me get it and put it on
your bed so you can put it on when you're ready.

Speaker 2 (58:02):
Wait.

Speaker 1 (58:02):
Wait, mom, Penny practically screamed, jumping up from the bed
and heading for the door, picking up her night down
and wrapping it around her Torso don't come in. I've
got i I've got really bad gas, I think.

Speaker 2 (58:17):
Don't don't.

Speaker 1 (58:18):
Her mother's voice took on an incredulous tinge as she
started to open the door. What don't be silly, I'll
just come in, put the dress on your bed, and no, mom,
Penny shouted, slamming her shoulder against the door to keep
it from opening fully, and then came face to face
with her stunned mother, who was still standing in the

(58:39):
hallway blocking the way into the bedroom of her clearly
disturbed daughter, who seemed to be mumbling something incoherently seriously, Mom,
it's just really bad in here, really bad. I can
barely stand it myself. And well it's just so so
weirdly awkward, you know. And I'm going to go downstairs

(59:00):
now and I can put my dress on. During her
incoherent monolog Penny glanced back and forth at Kenny, who
was silently rummaging around the room, gathering his shirt and
underwear but unable to find his pants. Penny angrily ordered
him to leave, and Kenny ended up swinging open the
window and practically jumping out through it, leaping from the

(59:20):
roof onto the lawn below, fleeing the house in the
neighborhood and just his boxer shorts. During his escape, Penny
managed to maintain her odd conversation by constantly referring to
the relatively toxic atmosphere she had created in her bedroom,
essentially forcing her mother to stay in the hallway until
she was sure Kenny had safely left the room. At

(59:40):
that moment, the tone of her voice changed and she
opened the door, abruptly inviting her mother in. Okay, Mom,
if you insist, you can come in. But I warned you.
She briskly strode across the room to close the window, and,
noticing Kenny's pants by the dressing table, discreetly shoved them
under the bed. Meanwhile, her completely confused mother slowly crept

(01:00:03):
into the room, sniffing the air cautiously before allowing herself
to take a deep breath. Penny, I don't know what
you're talking about. It smells wonderful in here, Penny smiled
nervously at her mother. Really, I think it smells awful.
It must be the nervous tension of the wedding day.
Geh yea, I guess, so said her mother with vague concern.

(01:00:26):
Penny sat in a stiff, upholstered, straight backed chair in
the preparation rooum adjoining the chapel. Her immaculate wedding dress
flowed around her in perfect white waves. Her hair was
arranged in elegant romantic ringlets, her hands were folded in
her lap, and she was staring blankly out the window.
At that moment, she heard the sound of the door

(01:00:47):
opening and the quiet sound of footsteps on the carpet. Please, please,
I'd like to be alone for a few minutes, stated Penny,
not checking to see who would come in. And then
her mother's voice reached her, soft and gentle, loving and kind.

Speaker 2 (01:01:03):
It's me, Penny.

Speaker 1 (01:01:04):
Missus Miller sat quietly in the chair across from her,
looking intently at her daughter, a look of pain and
sympathia on her face. In her hands, she held Kenny's
neatly folded jeans.

Speaker 2 (01:01:16):
In his wallet.

Speaker 1 (01:01:17):
Pen honey, she said, picking up the jeans. I found
them under your bed. Do you do you want to
talk about it? Penny stared at them dumbly for a while,
then burst into tears. Oh oh my god, Mom, what
what am.

Speaker 2 (01:01:33):
I going to do?

Speaker 1 (01:01:34):
Hi? I don't know what to do. Penny's mom put
her jeans on the floor, pulled her chair closer to Penny,
and took both of her hands, gazing intently into her
face as she spoke, Penny, Honey, what do you want? Sweetheart?
Who do you want? Because that's that's all that matters.
I it's hard for me to say what I want.

(01:01:56):
I feel like I'm at war with myself mom. When
I'm with Jason, everything feels right. Everything about him is
so so perfect. But Kenny, Kenny has taken over my
heart and I can't let him go. Penny bit her lip,
her worried expression darkening even more, and fresh tears drew
new paths on her make up. Oh Mom, this is

(01:02:19):
just going to kill Jason. How how do I do this?
Missus Miller reached up and brushed a tear from Penny's cheek,
looking at her daughter with love and concern. Well, honey,
I don't know exactly what to tell you, but I
know you can do it. And no matter what you know,
you have my support and my love and my blessing

(01:02:40):
if that matters. Jason Bright stood in the groom's preparation room,
barely overcoming his excitement to stand still while Brian Hewett
carefully adjusted his tuxedo, brushed off the lint, adjusted his tie,
and made sure the groom was absolutely flawless. While Brian
was adjusting his tie, Missus Miller and Penny entered the room,

(01:03:00):
and Jason's face broke into a wide, excited smile, which
immediately turned into a mask of concern when he saw
the distressed expression on Penny's face, accentuated by red eyes
and tear tracks. Penny, what's wrong, Honey? Are you okay?
He stepped away from Brian and took two steps toward Penny,
intending to hug her, but Penny stopped his movement with

(01:03:22):
a raised hand. Jason, Jason, we need to talk, she said, simply,
as missus Miller gestured for Brian to follow her out
of the room. Of course, sweetheart, of course, tell me
what's wrong. Penny shook her head slightly and turned away
from Jason, fresh tears appearing in her eyes. Without turning around,
she spoke again, quietly, hesitantly, in a voice full of

(01:03:46):
pain and regret. Jason, I have bad news, very bad news,
and and I don't know exactly how Honey, whatever it is,
it's going to be okay, Jason started to say, taking
a step forward, but Penny raised her hand again and
moved her gaze straight to him, now looking him straight
in the eye. Please, Jason, let me finish, because this

(01:04:09):
isn't this really isn't going to be good. Penny swallowed
hard twice, looked away and then back at Jason before
starting again. Jason, I can't I can't marry you. I'm sorry.
I love you, and I know you love me, but
I just can't do it. Her voice was devoid of emotion,
becoming almost robotic, as if it was the only way

(01:04:31):
she could get her point across without breaking down. Jason
shook his head and fake to smile. That should have
been reassuring, but the fear and vulnerability behind it only
made his heart ache more. Penny, honey, if you're getting
cold feet, I understand. We can we can put this off.
We can take our time. And Penny shook her head violently,

(01:04:52):
hot tears streaming down her face, which had taken on
a determined look. No, Jason, No, I can't marry you now.
I can't marry you ever. It would be a mistake
for both of us. I can't be your wife, Jason.
I just can't. I'm so so sorry. Jason spread his
hands in a pleading gesture and took another step forward.

(01:05:15):
But Penny, he started to say, but she only sobbed,
taking off her wedding ring and handing it to Jason
with a trembling hand, and then gasping in pain. She
turned away from him abruptly and stumbled out of the room,
tripping over her dress. John Bright was standing in the
foyer of the church, not far from the chapel when
the pandemonium began. He saw Penny's mother come out of

(01:05:38):
one of the preparation rooms with Brian Hewitt and say
something earnest, her somber face not in keeping with what
he expected to see from the mother of the bride
on her wedding day. While she was talking, several women
managed to sneak up and overhear their conversation until they
apparently caught the gist of it, at which point they
began thrashing around the church to set off a chain

(01:06:00):
reaction of gossip. Soon both men and women were animatedly
discussing what was going on, tugging on the sleeve of
any passer by to elicit more information. By this time,
Brian's conversation with Missus Miller was almost over and had
become decidedly unpleasant. Brian blushed, his nostrils flared as he

(01:06:20):
gave Penny's mother some firm final opinion, then turned and
headed back to the groom's room. John took a few
quick steps toward him, Hey, Brian, what's going on. Brian
looked at John and shook his head in disgust. It's off,
he said emphatically. The wedding's off. Wait what that can't

(01:06:41):
be replied John, heading with Brian to the ready room.
But all his doubts about the veracity of Brian's information
were dispelled when he saw his son stagger out of
the room with anguish on his face. His tuxedo was disheveled,
his previously perfectly combed hair was now a mess, and
his eyes were wet with the dead Oh, oh, my god, son, son,

(01:07:03):
what what happened? Jason could only stare at his father
and shake his head, effectively, rendered speechless by the devastating
news his ex fiancee had just given him. At that moment,
Kenny barely burst into the church without coat or tie,
half dressed in his suit pants and unbuttoned white shirt,
and demanded the attention of the first small, muscular woman

(01:07:25):
in a two big formal dress who caught his eye.

Speaker 2 (01:07:28):
Where is she?

Speaker 1 (01:07:29):
The woman nodded excitedly toward the archway leading to the
reception hall, and Kenny, realizing this, hurried in the same direction.
John watched the scene, squinting his eyes, looked back at Brian,
who had a look of disgust on his face, then
at Jason, who still looked dazed and incoherent, and at
the archway through which Kenny had disappeared. John's face turned

(01:07:51):
red and he began clenching and unclench his fists, pushing
his way through the crowd toward the reception hall until
he reached the hall itself. There, amidst a crowd of happy,
shadding spectators, Kenny knelt down in front of Penny, who,
still in her wedding dress, sat in a straight backed
chair and nodded happily through dried tears as Kenny held

(01:08:12):
her hands and spoke to her with a broad, reassuring smile.
Shaking with overwhelming rage, John cast a long, angry glance
at the couple and exploded, what is this shit? Those
words caught the attention of the entire crowd, who has
one turned to look at John with surprise and disgust,
but their disapproval didn't FaZe John. You mean to tell

(01:08:35):
me that this that my son's heart is broken because
of this loser, He gestured at Kenny, an incredulous expression
on his face. Penny began to cry again, and Kenny,
gritting his teeth began to rise while off to the side,
Penny's father quickly made his way through the crowd to John. Look,
I'm asking all of you who seem to be having

(01:08:57):
so much fun here, I'm asking you if fits true
that this bitch. As soon as the word bitch left
John's mouth, Penny's father unclenched his fist and the blow
came like lightning to the corner of John's mouth, causing
him to stagger and take a step back. John wiped
his mouth with his hand and looked at the blood,
before turning his attention back to Penny's father, a murderous

(01:09:19):
expression frozen in his eyes and his mouth set in
a grim, bloody smile. Clenching his fists, he strode toward
mister Miller, who clearly surprised that his punch had had
no effect on John, began to back away awkwardly, but
just as John came within striking distance, Jason's voice, tired
but firm and insistent, stopped him. Dad, No, it's not

(01:09:43):
worth it. It's not worth it. None of this is
worth it. John looked at his suffering son, and the
rage on his face melted away, leaving only a look
of calm understanding, Brian walked over, put his arm around John,
and they began to make their way through the toward
the church exit, with the guests flanking them. But Jason

(01:10:04):
paused for a moment, looking around the hushed crowd before
he stopped his gaze on Penny, agonized anticipation written all
over her face. He reached into his pocket and with
a smooth motion, tossed the wedding ring toward Penny. It
hit the tile floor with a loud clink and bounced
twice before falling next to her foot. Goodbye, Penny, he

(01:10:25):
said in a voice with bitter finality, then walked out
of the room, like a prisoner sentenced to death. Chapter two,
A thousand Days. Jason sat hunched over in front of
the coffee table in the small living room of his apartment,
chewing the last piece of cereal and staring blankly out
the window at the coming dawn. He stood up slowly

(01:10:46):
and stretched, then walked across the living room floor, past
the chair she usually read, and passed the closet where
her clothes were kept, and entered the kitchen where she
was cooking, and dumped the empty bowl into the sink.
One thousand days, he muttered, looking at the empty bed,
littered with crumpled sheets, evidence of another night spent alone,

(01:11:07):
of bad dreams and insomnia. He stripped off his workout clothes,
showered and shaved, before slipping into his usual dark conservative suit,
tying his tie and turning his back to his reflection
in the mirror, and walking out of his lonely apartment
to work. A thousand damn days, he said aloud, walking
across the garage to his car and remembering another far

(01:11:30):
more painful walk that day. After leaving church, he essentially
staggered to the car, barely able to get to it
with the help of his dad and Brian. The ride
home was barely bearable. His father insisted on driving and
spoke to him in the most soothing tone a gruff,
exhausted man could have, trying his best to convince Jason

(01:11:50):
that the world went on and that life would eventually
get better. His father stayed with him for a week
while Jason struggled to come back to life, first in
an all most catatonic state, then incoherent, and finally in
a state of sluggish depression. A thousand days and this
is still the best part of my day. Sighing, he
pulled into the Prairie Tower parking garage and nonchalantly took

(01:12:14):
the elevator to the forty second floor. He made his
way to his corner office, nodded to the janitors, the
only people on the floor at this time, and then
sat down at his desk and turned on his computer.
This place was a refuge for him, a corner office
where the intellectual appeal of numbers, graphs, and models could
seduce and occupy his mind just enough to chase away

(01:12:37):
the memories that tormented him. Memories of romantic kisses and
holding hands in the park became painful because of memories
of betrayal, of tearful confessions, of the gold ring, jingling
against the tiles to rest on the hem of his
wedding dress. At the urging of friends, He had on
occasion tried to step onto dangerous ground. In particular, he

(01:12:57):
had five dates with five different women. All of the
dates were awkward, with forced smiles and sporadic awkward conversations,
and none of them were so successful that either party
even considered trying again. They all ended fairly early, even
without a kiss on the cheek. After the fifth date.
About six months later, Jason came to the conclusion that

(01:13:19):
he wasn't ready to socialize with women at all, let
alone date, and once again decided to seclude himself. And
so he sat in his sanctuary, his office, his inviolate
space that protected him from socializing with others, from the
pain and hassle of human interaction, and from the dangers
of forming relationships. It was the only place where he

(01:13:39):
felt comfortable, where the idea of usefulness replaced companionship.

Speaker 2 (01:13:44):
But at the end of each.

Speaker 1 (01:13:45):
Day, the work gay was over and Jason had to
go home to the TV, the computer, the books, and
the empty, cold, lifeless apartment. And he was gradually realizing
that he couldn't lead the life of a high tech
hermit indefinitely, and that even for him, some minimal socializing
was necessary. So that night, instead of going straight home,

(01:14:06):
he decided to do something different to try to go
to the social party Brian had urged him to attend
with an enthusiasm that bordered on coercion. Leaning back in
his office chair and folding his hands on the back
of his head, Jason worried about the discomfort he would
feel this evening, and for a moment he thought about
brushing it off, but pursing his lips, he discreetly shook

(01:14:29):
his head with a look of determination on his face,
and got up to grab his car keys. The house
was large, almost a mansion, located on a street lined
with other mansions. There were cars, ever where, filling the driveway,
parked on both sides of the street, and to even
park neatly on the lawn. Jason put the car in
a small spot a block or so away from the

(01:14:50):
house and texted Brian his arrival, slowly making his way
through the parked cars. When he reached the front door,
Brian was already out to meet him, smiling broadly and
shifting nervously from foot to foot as Jason approached. To
keep him from turning around and running away, Brian put
his arm around Jason's shoulders and quickly pulled him inside.

(01:15:12):
Despite its size, the house was crowded with people. They
crowded around, laughing, watching a baseball game, playing volleyball in
the back yard, eating barbecue, and drinking beer. Brian took
Jason from room to room, showing him off to old
friends and introducing him to new acquaintances. At a brisk pace,
the men greeting him with cheers and pats on the back,

(01:15:34):
the women with flirtitious smiles and small talk. To his surprise,
Jason was enjoying himself, and for the first time in
as long as he could remember, he felt something akin
to confidence when talking to women. After wandering around the
house and sampling the food and entertainment, Jason and Brian
became engrossed in a game of pool, which was held

(01:15:55):
in the large recreation room. When Brian left to get
a beer, Jason felt comeatable enough to wander around the
house some more. Eventually, he made his way to the
meteor room, where he ran into Buddy Johnson, a pleasant,
chubby former classmate who had taken up temporary shelter next
to a table laden with potato chips and juice. Buddy

(01:16:15):
smiled broadly at Jason. Hey, Jason, haven't seen you in
a while. What's up, man? You want some chips? There's
barbecue outside too. No, no, I'm fine now, Jason smiled back,
then nodded at the big TV that was currently running commercials.
What are you watching? A Buddy swallowed and ran his

(01:16:36):
tongue over his lips before answering, yeah, we just got
done watching the cub is loose in an extra innings.
Buddy rolled his eyes in disgust, then continued, but it
just got switched to some movie. When it's over, I
think they'll hook up the Xbox to play. I think
it's almost finished, so it won't take long if you

(01:16:56):
want to play. Jason nodded in response to Buddy's words
and stood behind the couch littered with people. As the
movie started again. Jason nodded in recognition, bit his lip,
and began to rub his hands restlessly, recognizing the plot.
It was the end of the movie The Graduate, and
he was watching Benjamin Braddock, Dustin Hoffman's character abandoned his car,

(01:17:18):
which had no gasoline in it, and set off on
foot to frantically make his way to the wedding. When
he arrived, he found the doors to the church locked
and eventually made his way to the glass wall at
the back of the chapel. Jason swallowed hard twice and
began breathing rapidly through his nose as he watched Braddock
bang on the glass and call out Elaine over and

(01:17:39):
over again to get her attention, and then turned pale
as a sheet when Elaine turned in response to Braddock's
words and spotting him, abruptly left the chapel in a
burst of chaos and fled with Braddock on a bus,
leaving her fiance behind. The informal audience, which included not
only those seated on the sofa but also several couples

(01:18:00):
sprawled on the floor, were clearly amused by these scenes.
Two of the men, who had been drinking heavily began
shouting Elane, Elaine as the scene played out, while the
others laughed and giggled. Jason, however, found himself bent over
with his hands in his lap, as if his head
was suddenly foggy or even gnossus.

Speaker 2 (01:18:19):
One of the women.

Speaker 1 (01:18:20):
Walking by two grab a bite to eat, delicately placed
a hand on his back and gently asked if he
was okay. He stood up, embarrassed and looked around at
everyone gathered, who were so enamored with the idea of
a woman leaving a man at the altar for someone
who obviously offered more. He looked at the woman, a short,
olive skinned Hispanic woman with a concerned, uncertain smile. She

(01:18:43):
shook his head and without a word, disappeared out the door.
Brian walked with bated breath to the door of Jason's
apartment and stood in front of it for a minute
or more before he raised his hand to knock. When
nothing happened, he knocked a second time, louder and more insistently.
This time, a shuffling sound was heard, and then the
door opened, revealing attired and disheveled Jason Bright, dressed in

(01:19:07):
shorts and an old T shirt. Oh hi, Brian, what
what do you need? He asked, opening the door wider
silently inviting him in, and then turned and headed back
into the living room. Brian hesitated for a moment and
then followed him, turning to Jason. Hey man, sorry to

(01:19:28):
bargein on you like this, but when I call I
only get your voicemail, and I wanted to talk. I
just wanted to say I'm sorry about how the party
went last week, with a whole movie thing and everything.
You didn't need to come over to apologize. It wasn't
your fault. In fact, it wasn't anyone's fault. Yes it is,

(01:19:49):
but you know I was worried about you and I
wanted to make sure you were okay, and I guess
I wanted to talk and get.

Speaker 2 (01:19:56):
It to you.

Speaker 1 (01:19:57):
That that what asked Ja, tiredly sinking down onto the couch.
Brian sat on the edge of the couch, folding his
arms across his chest and contemplated his friend before answering
that you have to move forward.

Speaker 2 (01:20:12):
Jason.

Speaker 1 (01:20:12):
You've had a rough patch, but you need to get
out of it and live your life. Oh shit, Brian,
It's easy to give out advice like that, but I
got stabbed in the back, damn it, by the person
I should have trusted the most in my life. It
was the most painful and humiliating thing I've ever gone through,
and it was all thanks to the woman I was

(01:20:33):
in love with. How the hell do you move on
after something like that? Do you have any idea what
that feels like? Any idea? Brian held up both hands
as if trying to stop Jason's words and his pain
with a simple firm gesture. Just just stop, Jason, just stop.
You're right, I've never had to go through anything even

(01:20:55):
remotely like the emotional blow that Penny dealt you. I
understand that, but as a friend who cares about you,
I'm saying that you can get over it if you
want to, but it's going to take some effort and
some some courage. Jason snorted in disgust. So I'm some
kind of coward now because I got dumped?

Speaker 2 (01:21:15):
Is that true?

Speaker 1 (01:21:16):
Brian shook his head in despair. Come on, you know
that's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying that how
your life turns out is largely up to you. You
can stay isolated and alone, trapped in this apartment like
some character from Great Expectations, or you can at least
try to start something new. Jason sat up, his face
clenched in an expression of frustrated anger, his mouth opening

(01:21:39):
and closing in an attempt to respond, but there were
no words, and then, as if exhausted by his own emotions,
he collapsed back onto the couch. Shit, Brian, I don't
even know how to start. I can't even figure out
what to do. Brian smirked, pulling a folded piece of
paper out of his pocket. While well, Jace, Brian just

(01:22:01):
might have the answer for you. He unfolded the paper
and placed it on Jason's knee. Jason picked up the
paper suspiciously and studied it, his eyes frowning as he
read Brian It's just a list of girls, a list
of girls who would love to go out with you,
names and numbers, all kinds of information. All you have

(01:22:22):
to do is call. I've done that before, but it
didn't work out. Well, It's time to do better. I
don't think I can. That's what I thought you were
going to say. Brian pulled out his cell phone and
flipped through several screens.

Speaker 2 (01:22:36):
Here, I've been.

Speaker 1 (01:22:38):
Ordered to read this to you if you resist, so listen.
Brian pressed a button on his cell phone, and John
Bright's voice rang out in the room. Jason, no one
knows better than I do that you've been thrown into
a worse situation than the latrine at Woodstock, with all
that marriage crap. And I understand why you've become disillusioned
with life in general and women in per particular. I do,

(01:23:01):
But honestly, Son, it's time to grab life by the
balls and start living again. I've seen you do some
amazing things, and now I'm asking, or maybe insisting, that
you do another amazing thing. I want you to put
all this crap behind you and start having fun. Smiling,
Brian has a list of girls. He assures me, our

(01:23:22):
top notch I'm not sure if Brian has more than
three working brain cells, but I will say this, he
seems to have a knack for women. So in this case,
in this case only, I want you to do what
he says. You don't need to get involved in anything serious.
Play the field, have fun, put your past behind you.

(01:23:43):
You have too much ahead of you to live in
a self imposed prison. Jason sat on the couch with
his arms folded across his chest and rocked slowly back
and forth, staring blankly at the list he had placed
on the coffee table in front of him. Well, asked Brian.
After a few minutes of awkward silence had passed. What

(01:24:03):
Jason turned around to Brian, his eyes blinking as if
he had just woken up from a bright light shining
in his face. Brian let out an intermittent sigh. You're
going to get your act together, ask one of these
girls out and try to start a life. Jason started
to nod his head. Yeah, he interrupted him abruptly. Or

(01:24:24):
are you just going to continue this slow social suicide
like this? Brian waited with his hands folded on his hips,
and Jason watched with a strangely amused expression. As Brian's aggressive,
defiant attitude was replaced by incredulous surprise.

Speaker 2 (01:24:40):
Wait, wait, what did you say?

Speaker 1 (01:24:42):
You said that that you're going to ask some of
these girls out. Is that what you said? Yeah, that's
exactly what I said. Jason's voice grew sharply, stronger and
more convincing. My dad's right, You're right. I have to
live my life. I have to move forward. Bryan's whole
horso rocked back and forth in a nodding motion, and

(01:25:04):
he opened his arms in a welcoming gesture, his eyebrows
rising in a surprised look. All right, then, he said,
With no rational way to decide who to start with,
Jason started at the top of the list, and the
first woman was the roommate of one of the girls
Brian was dating. She moved like a ballerina, tall, slender
and graceful, and her lustrous, straight brown hair fell over

(01:25:28):
her shoulders like a silk garment. She had graduated from
college four years ago, worked as a buyer at a
local clothing store, and had a passion for tennis. They
had dinner at a formal Italian restaurant and then went
to a play. She was polite and cheerful, but the
conversation was awkward and became increasingly drawn out and strained

(01:25:48):
as the evening went on. Once the play was over,
Jason drove her home without any objection on her part.
He ended the evening with a dry kiss on the
cheek and an apology. Jason spent the night tossing and
turning in bed and reflecting on the night before. He
cursed aloud through clenched teeth, arguing with himself about the
futility of socializing. But the next morning he grimly went

(01:26:12):
to the list and called girl number two. She was
short and perky, a pale skinned, freckled, red haired girl
who could strike up a conversation with a statue. She
worked at the veterinary clinic as an assistant. Like to
dance and skate. They went to a sandwich store, then
a dance club, and ended the evening with coffee at
a late night diner. The evening went easily for Jason,

(01:26:36):
as the conversation flowed quickly and incoherently, discussing everything from
the sorry state of the space program to the relative
superiority of Labrador retrievers to their preferred style of snow birding.

Speaker 2 (01:26:47):
Attire.

Speaker 1 (01:26:48):
They seemed to talk about everything and everyone except their
personal romantic stories, and Jason realized later that this was
almost certainly an explicit directive from Brian. Over the next
two months, he asked her out for more times. A
night at the ballet, a night at the movies, another
night of dancing, and then a picnic in the park.

(01:27:09):
He loved being with her, and she enjoyed his company,
but she was an energetic girl with a busy schedule,
and there was no real spark between them, so he
gently let the relationship fade, calling and texting her but
never asking her out again. Girl three was a free spirit.
She weighed a few pounds, had light brown hair gathered

(01:27:29):
in a pony a tail, laughing brown eyes, and tan skin.
She worked as a research assistant in the physics department
at Northwestern University, but on weekends and weekday evenings she
partied hard. She loved motorcycles, loud music, and smoking pot.
Jason invited her to a rock concert. After the date
was over, she invited him inside, and after a little hesitation,

(01:27:53):
he accepted. The apartment was filled with the sounds of
the grateful dead and the thick, acrid, sweet smell of smoke.
The roommate, tall and thin with a joint between her lips,
waved from the kitchen where she was obviously baking brownies.
Jason settled down on the couch, relinquished his bowl of grass,
and tried to act casual until he finally bowed out

(01:28:15):
and drove home. At his apartment, he quickly took off
his clothes and put them in the washing machine and
took a shower himself, vaguely wondering if he could test
positive for a second hand smoke. The next day, he
called girl Hash for she was something of a Marilyn
Monroe clone, with short, curled, platinum blonde hair. She worked
as a salesman, still lived at home, and didn't seem

(01:28:38):
to have any real interests. Jason, to whom the ability
for social interaction was slowly returning, carried on a conversation
as they sat down to a long and rather tedious dinner.
He drove her home and she invited him in for
a drink, letting him know that her parents were away
for the weekend. Her gorgeous cleavage and full hips made

(01:28:59):
the vacation very tempting, but Jason couldn't bring himself to
engage in any kind of relationship with such a white girl,
so he politely declined and went home, where he finished
the evening with a bottle of baby oil in front
of his computer. Girls five through seven were cute, outgoing,
fun but otherwise unremarkable. He enjoyed meeting them, having good conversations,

(01:29:23):
enjoying laughter and easy intimacy. He made second, third, and
even fourth dates, but never felt anything but pleasant satisfaction
and began to worry that the relationship he had with
Penny would forever slip away from him. He began to
think that he might have to find someone he could
be comfortable with or maybe just love, and that deep

(01:29:43):
love like he had with Penny was just not meant
to happen again. But that was before Girl number eight
came along. Gail Anne Rawson was a twenty eight year
old University of Illinois graduate with a degree in marketing
in a solid advertising job at a downtown department store.
To most observers, she was, if not beautiful, at least pretty,

(01:30:04):
shoulder length, ash blonde hair framing a heart shaped face, cool,
lightly freckled skin, and a soft, comfortable body. She was
also the only girl on the list that neither Jason
nor Brian for that matter, had ever met. Her brother
worked with Brian, and when he heard about Jason, he
called his sister over. Brian took one look at her

(01:30:24):
picture and put her on the list. When Jason called,
Gail was weary and a little reserved, even surprised that
Jason had called her specifically. She vaguely remembered talking to
her brother about Jason a few months ago, but now
faced with the reality of being asked out by a
complete stranger, she chickened out and declined, and Jason, feeling

(01:30:46):
somewhat relieved that he wouldn't have a try to impress
a complete stranger, took it calmly. But a couple of
days later, Gaile called back and apologized for her refusal,
explaining that she hadn't wanted to at first, and after
time talking to her brother again, she changed her mind
about going on the date. They talked for a few
minutes on the phone, joked about how blind dates can

(01:31:08):
be uncomfortable, and made plans for a lunch date later
in the week. They met at a small downtown cafe
specializing in soups and salads. The conversation was awkward at first,
typical opening remarks, job and education descriptions, general information about
family life, and idle comments about soup and beast preferences. Gradually,

(01:31:31):
the conversation became lighter, more casual and spontaneous. They swapped stories,
talked about interests, and laughed. When they finished eating and
Jason held out his credit card, he looked at his
watch and was amazed to see that he was thirty
minutes late for his scheduled return to the office. He
hastily paid and took Gail out to the sidewalk, where

(01:31:52):
he hailed a cab for her, and then caught his own.
Back in the office, he absent mindedly went about his
afternoon work. Reflecting on his lunch with Gaile. Following his
plan to not seem needy or overly concerned about any
of the girls he'd had a good time with, Jason
decided to wait a couple days before contacting Gayle again.

(01:32:13):
After a few hours, he decided he wanted to invite
her to a play that was coming to town in
a couple of weeks, and figured he'd better call her
the next day so she'd have a chance to book
the date by late afternoon, he changed that plan and
decided to call her later to invite her to dinner
that week end. He ended up calling before he even

(01:32:33):
left work and invited her the next night.

Speaker 2 (01:32:36):
She said yes.

Speaker 1 (01:32:37):
They had dinner at an upscale steakhouse, planning to go
to a movie, but time slipped away from them as
they chatted throughout dinner and missed the start of the movie.
They lingered at the table, devoured the shared dessert for
over an hour, and continued to chat after the check
was paid, until the waiter began to gently hint and
then finally, more forcefully suggested they move the conversation elsewhere

(01:32:59):
they were done eating, since the restaurant could use the table.
Gail was shocked, but Jason only laughed, and, instead of
ending the evening, suggested they moved their date to a
nearby bar. They continued to talk about everything in the world,
from clothing preferences to favorite sports teams to travel dreams.
They talked seriously about important things and jokingly about humorous things,

(01:33:24):
aisily and with great interest, revealing any insignificant fact about themselves.
One day, the conversation turned to the excessive lifestyles of
the rich and famous, Jason reasoned that money and fame
likely exacerbated the problems associated with poor lifestyle choices, and
listed several famous people. When he mentioned Lindsay Lohan, Gail

(01:33:45):
snorted and rolled her eyes and disgusted, God, Lindsay Lohan.
How much I hate her? She said it, almost spitting
the words out. Jason raised his eyebrows and shook his head, puzzled,
why does she annoy you so much? I mean, I
know she's out of control and beating herself up, but
what makes her different from the rest of us? Gail

(01:34:07):
took a deep breath, bit her lip, and looked up
at the ceiling before returning her gaze to Jason. It's
not that she's taking anything. In fact, I don't care
about that at all. It's just that she was in
a Disney movie that I just hate, and for some reason,
I can't help but blame it on her personally. Wait,
you hate her because she was in a movie you

(01:34:29):
didn't like. Gaile squinted her eyes and wrinkled her nose,
as if the conversation had taken a decidedly unpleasant turn. No,
it's well, sort of. I mean, I really really hated
that movie. Jason tilted his head to the side, thinking
about Gail for a moment. Seriously, you owe me a
little explanation. How can a movie, and a Disney movie at.

Speaker 2 (01:34:52):
That, be so bad?

Speaker 1 (01:34:53):
Gail let out her breath in a long, controlled sigh
and leaned forward, resting her elbow on the table and
resting her cheek on her hand. You're going to make
me talk about it, aren't you, she smiled. Yes, he
said with a half smile. Yeah, I guess so. Gail
took another deep breath and exhaled slowly before speaking again. Okay, Well,

(01:35:16):
the movie is a remake the Parent Trap. The original
had Hayley Mills in it. Do you know the story? Yeah, sure,
I think I do. Twin girls find out their sisters
and try to get their mom and dad to get
back together, right wealth, Yeah, and the horrible, horrible things
they did to the girl who was going to marry

(01:35:36):
their dad. Jason raised his eyebrows, and Gaile leaned back
in her chair, chewing on her lip as if contemplating
what to say next. She shifted awkwardly in her chair
and smiled embarrassingly at Jason. In everyone like that movie
because everyone wanted the parents to get back together, and
no one like the girl, that platinum blonde he was

(01:35:57):
engaged to, so everything they did with her was supposed
to be really funny. But but, but, but here's the thing.
I really really relate to this girl. She just fell
in love with a guy and tried to marry him,
and these girls are playing all these horrible tricks on
her to separate her from her father. I know the
movie makes her look like a gold digging bitch, but

(01:36:19):
she was just wait, so why.

Speaker 2 (01:36:21):
Do you care? You really don't know, do you?

Speaker 1 (01:36:24):
A look of undisguised surprise appeared on Gaile's face, and
Jason realized he'd missed something important.

Speaker 2 (01:36:31):
About her past.

Speaker 1 (01:36:32):
He shrugged, shook his head, and smiled calmly, answering her question, No,
I have no idea. Gaile pursed her lips and ran
a hand through her hair, pausing to rub her scalp
before continuing, I guess I thought you knew about my story.
I figured Brian or my brother told you, and that
they were trying to set me up with a nice

(01:36:53):
guy or something. Honestly, Gail, I have no idea what
you're talking about. Well, at least you know about me
being with Trevor. Right, I've mentioned him a couple times,
haven't I. Well, of course, Jason nodded his head. I
got the impression that things were pretty serious.

Speaker 2 (01:37:10):
Between me two. Well, yeah it was.

Speaker 1 (01:37:14):
Gail paused to clear her throat and away. He was
an older man. I think I've mentioned this before. He
was in his late forties, an architect. Divorced, so we
started dating. It was very serious and we talked about marriage.
But but he had a daughter, Amy. She was fourteen
at the time, and she really had a thing for me.

(01:37:35):
Why she really wanted her parents to get back together.
The divorce was hard on her, and I think she
never got over the fact that the break up was final.
So when Trevor and I started having a serious relationship,
I think she decided that if she was going to
get in the way of our relationship, her mom and
dad would still have a chance, and she threw a tantrum.

(01:37:58):
Gail took a sip of her drink and her head,
but a small, embarrassed smile continued to play on her lips. No,
she did the parent trap thing. Lots of shenanigans to
make me look bad or bitchy pranks, yeh, Jason looked
at Gail expectantly. Oh, now you're going to make me
tell you about the pranks, aren't you. Jason smiled openly,

(01:38:20):
nodding his head, and Gail let out a short, snorting
laugh and shook her head as if she couldn't believe
what she was about to do. Okay, then buckle up.
She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before beginning
her story. The first prank I know of happened the
night I was going to meet his business associates. I

(01:38:40):
lost my favorite perfume and Amy came running with it
just as Trevor and I were pulling away from the driveway.
I didn't have time to apply them before we pulled
up to the restaurant, but it turns out she'd added
some horrible smelling stuff to the perfume, like raw sewage.
I didn't didn't even realize it was mean until Trevor
snith my neck and almost released the gag as soon

(01:39:02):
as we entered the restaurant. I wanted to go home
and clean myself up, but it was too late, so
I went to the rest room and cleaned myself up
as best I could, but I still think I stunk
to high heaven. It was horrible. Every time someone came
near me, they looked like they had just swallowed curdled milk.

(01:39:22):
Oh my god, that's awful, said Jason, barely suppressing a laugh. Yeah,
I just feel sympathy, she said, with a sarcastic smile.
But that was just the beginning. Before our next big date,
she washed my underwear in the same shit and put
some of it in my spritzer. She also put a
few garlic capsules in my vitamins, which resulted in terrible

(01:39:45):
breath as you can guess. I told Trevor what she
had done, but he remained silent. I honestly started to
wonder if he thought I just smelled bad. Jason leaned
forward and defiantly inhaled deeply through his nose. Well, I'm
not picking up anything right now, but I'll take another
sniff outside in case the smells here are masking it funny,

(01:40:07):
She fake frowned and smiled, then continued her story. But
another time she somehow got hold of fly fair amone
and smeared it on me before a picnic with our friends.
Not a few minutes later, I was already swarming with
little black buggers. You can imagine the impression I made
as a fly lady. I was furious and asked Trevor

(01:40:27):
to talk to Amy, but he just let it go,
and that ruined our relationship almost but not quite. It
stressed me out, made me a little paranoid, and of
course it made it impossible to trust Amy or to
be her friend at all. All in all, it made
things difficult. But the final straw was when we threw
a big dinner party inviting his mom, dad, and a

(01:40:50):
few important clients. She managed to get some kind of
sedative I think it was out of town or something,
and slipped it into my wine. By the time dinner
was over, I was slurring my words and could barely
keep my eyes open. By the end of dinner, I
had completely passed out and was lying head first in
my chicken. Somehow Amy managed to get the back of

(01:41:12):
my dress whatso it looked like I'd peed my pants
when Trevor and another guy basically picked me up in
their arms and dragged me into the bedroom. You're kidding me,
said Jason, incredulously.

Speaker 2 (01:41:24):
Not at all.

Speaker 1 (01:41:25):
It's the plain truth. We had a fight, and he
told me how embarrassed he was by my behavior, and
only got more upset when I blamed amy. I couldn't
deal with the lack of support, and he couldn't deal
with the conflict, and we broke up. Gaiale paused, then
laughed straight out of Disney, maybe from Sick, Twisted Dizzy.

(01:41:46):
Well and away, that's my sad story. She paused and
tilted her head to the side, scrutinizing Jason with a
curious smile. How about yours, she asked softly. Jason leaned
back in his chair. Well, he began, Mine isn't Disney,
but it's kind of like a movie, more like Runaway Bride.

Speaker 2 (01:42:06):
I guess. Did she chickened out at the last minute? No,
more like she.

Speaker 1 (01:42:11):
Got carried away by an old flame right before you
were going to get married. No, right at the wedding.
I was in a tuxedo, all ready to go out
humming the wedding march. I didn't think anything could go wrong.
And she walked in in her wedding dress and said
it was over, says she loves another guy and that
we're not getting married. God, that's awful.

Speaker 2 (01:42:34):
Yeah, it is.

Speaker 1 (01:42:36):
Jason's incredulous smile, widen slightly. I've already told you about
my dad, how he's a pretty rough man, and away
he almost caused a ruckus at church, called her a bitch,
yelled at all the guests. It was chaos, and what
did you do? What could I have done? I just
walked away like some kind of zombie, he laughed briefly.

(01:42:58):
I was a mess, to be honest, just a mess.

Speaker 2 (01:43:01):
I think.

Speaker 1 (01:43:02):
I think this is the first time I've laughed while
telling this story or even thinking about it. It just
seems so now, so far away, like it happens to
someone else. Well, time does that. Time, Sure it helps,
but mostly I think the difference is you. They walked
out of the bar, holding hands, walking silently down the

(01:43:24):
sidewalk to the restaurant parking lot and to the car,
Jason opening the door and helping Gail into the seat.
He slid into the driver's seat and fiddled awkwardly with
the seat belt and ignition before turning nervously to Gaile.
I don't mean to be cavalier, but I had a
really good time tonight, and I thought maybe you might
want to spend some more time together. There aren't many

(01:43:46):
places available, right now, but we could go to my place.
It's not that far from here. Gaile turned away and
stared out the window, saying nothing, and Jason's invitation pressed
down on her like a giant, embarrassing way. After a
few moments, Jason broke the silence stiffly. Look, I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to embarrass you. We haven't known each

(01:44:09):
other that long. I know that, So again, I'm sorry,
I didn't mean to As he spoke, Gaile turned to
face Jason and looked him in the eyes with a direct,
searching gaze. Yes, she said, simply, abruptly interrupting his apology. Yes, yes,
we haven't known each other that long, and yes, I'd

(01:44:30):
like to go back to your apartment. Fifteen minutes later,
Jason stood in front of his apartment door, opening it
wide for Gaile and simply announced, there she is. Wishing
he had off read something more witty. She entered the
apartment slowly and stopped in the hallway, letting Jason take
her coat as he walked past her. Come on in

(01:44:51):
and sit on the couch if you'd like. She took
two small steps forward and hesitated, slowly turning her head
as she looked around the apartment, giving the impression of
cautious uncertainty. Jason continued, The kitchen is right over there,
and I can get you something to drink if you'd like.
And the bathroom is right down the hall if you'd
like to use it. He gestured toward the bathroom anxiously

(01:45:14):
awaiting a response from Gil, who continued to stand still
at the entrance to the living room, looking around the apartment,
moving from the kitchen to the living room, from the
living room to the hallway, and finally back to Jason,
bestowing on him the same tense look she'd cast on
him in the car when she'd accepted his invitation. Jason,
she said, in a quiet but clear voice, just take

(01:45:37):
me to the bedroom. Jason swallowed hard twice and took
a deep breath before nodding his head. Sometime in the
middle of the night, Jason woke up and realized that,
for the first time in years, he wasn't alone in
his bed. Opening his eyes, Jason discerned Gal's smiling face
in the dim light of the hallway lamp. Hi, she said, simply, Hi, yourself, health,

(01:46:00):
can't sleep, No, I just woke up a little while ago,
and I was just doing some thinking, pondering, thinking about what,
thinking about what's the matter. I'm not sure I should
say a girl shouldn't always give away her plans. Plans,
what plans? I'm going to make you mine. She said

(01:46:20):
it as if she was stating an immutable fact, a
truth that couldn't be resisted or denied. Jason froze in place,
eyebrows raised in surprise, and Gale waited for his answer
with an expression of cheerful anticipation. You got off to
a very good start, he finally said, quietly, looking intently
into her face. And indeed, a good start turned into

(01:46:43):
a vigorous affair, a courtship that was nothing less than sensational.
Everything from the places they went to eat, vacations to
sex and life itself seemed new and exciting. Their romance
was so strong and intense that it extinguished all doubts
and fears that could have hindered their relationship, and so
they got engaged to be married as soon as possible,

(01:47:04):
to plan the wedding. Like everything else in their relationship,
the plans and events leading up to the wedding went
flawlessly without worry or resentment, and all of Jason's worries
and nervousness were relegated to the part of the mind
that was reserved for the impossible. Everything seemed perfect right
up until the moment when Gail casually informed him that

(01:47:24):
Trevor had contacted her and wanted to attend not only
the wedding but also some of the events leading up
to it, and that she strongly encouraged him to come.
Jason felt a lump stirring in his chest when she
said that, but, trying to appear reasonable and confident, took
the information as casually as possible, hoping that Gail was

(01:47:45):
just trying to be polite, to be the bigger woman
and allow an ex who wanted to be a friend
to attend an important event. But within minutes of Trevor's arrival,
it was clear to Jason that he considered himself more
than just a friend to Gail, and he made little
effort to hide his feelings. From the beginning, he'd begun
to edge Gail out of the group for private conversations,

(01:48:07):
intimate conversations in which he smiled endlessly and leaned over
to exchange whispers with her, ignoring the rest of the group,
and when he couldn't do that. He was always there
for her, touching her, putting his hand on her shoulder
or back, nonchalantly hugging her and smirking at Jason like
she was still his girlfriend. But the worst part was that,

(01:48:27):
although Gaile tried to push him away from time to time,
she never asked him to leave or back off, never
read him the law of disorder that would put an
end to his borderline behavior. And so less than ten
months after their first meeting, Jason found himself at his
second wedding rehearsal dinner with his second fiance, and for
the second time in his life, he experienced a sense

(01:48:50):
of impending doom, because now at this dinner, things looked
worse than he'd ever imagined. Across the table from him
sat Trevor, a confident, handsome tan man with salt and
pepper hair and a spotlight smile, who was engaged in
conversation with half a dozen very interested ladies, a paaragon
of charm and tact, the center of attraction for every

(01:49:11):
eye in the room, especially Gaile, who seemed unable to
take her eyes off him for more than a few
moments at a time, and with every sly look. With
every sly smile, the lump Glee had planted in his
chest grew until it became a sort of emotional cancer
that darkened his mood and destroyed his composure. He haphazardly
moved food from plate to plate, barely engaging in conversation

(01:49:35):
with the guests, who seemed more aware of his discomfort
than Gaile. Finally, with a resigned sigh, he pushed his
plate away and muttered softly to himself, placing his elbows
on the table and massaging his temples with his knuckles.
Gaile finally turned her attention to him. God, are you okay?
You look a little sore. Jason looked at her with

(01:49:56):
a blank, almost threatening stare, trying to decide what to say,
then leaned over and hissed in her ear. The tone
of his voice so angry and foreign it hit her
like a fist. Damn it, Gail, If you're going to
take me down, why don't you just use a knife.
Gale's eyes widened in wild, frightened disbelief. What what What's wrong?

Speaker 2 (01:50:19):
Jason?

Speaker 1 (01:50:20):
What are you talking about? Jason snorted with a mocking
half smile. Come on, Gail, I've been here before, he said,
nodding slightly in Trevor's direction. You basically invited your ex
to our rehearsal without asking me. You suddenly have secrets.
You're having private conversations, clearly arranging some sort of meeting

(01:50:41):
or something, and now at dinner you can't take your
eyes off him, smiling to yourself, probably about some personal fantasy,
and you're nervous. I know how this ends. I've been
here before. Maybe we should just move it over here,
switch places. Would that make you feel better? Gaile began
shaking her head vigorously and leaned closer to Jason, obviously

(01:51:05):
trying not to be overheard. Oh no, no, no, no, Jason,
you didn't I didn't invite him. He kind of invited himself.
He said he wanted to be there, that he wanted
to see me, and I, well, I had something I
wanted to do, and that's why I was secretive. I
knew you that you'd be mad, so I just didn't

(01:51:26):
tell you. I angry about what because of some last
minute tryst. Why the hell would I be upset about
what my fiancee is doing before her wedding to her
ex boyfriend and not be entertained, no, Jason, No, just
just stop. Her voice was suddenly low and insistent, the
panic of a moment ago replaced by firm determination. This

(01:51:48):
isn't what that you think. Jason raised his eyebrows expectantly,
and Gail took a slow, deliberate breath through her nose
before starting again. Look, if you wait a minute, just
a couple of minutes, I think you'll see. At this point,
one of the women Trevor had been fawning over suddenly
asked loudly, what what's that on your on your teeth?

(01:52:09):
That's some kind of juice. Without trying to understand what
the woman was talking about, Gaile smiled broadly at Jason
and raised her eyebrows. Or maybe you won't have a
wait at all. Jason turned around with a disgruntled face
at the new commotion. What he saw seemed so strange
that for a moment he had trouble making sense of

(01:52:29):
what was happening. Trevor was still smiling, still sitting elegantly,
but now he was bringing his hand to his mouth
with a puzzled and concerned look. His bright white teeth
had somehow turned a disgusting dark blue color as had
his lips and a small drip mark on the right
side of his chin. What the hell is that, said Jason,
absent mindedly, eyes wide. What what did you do? We're

(01:52:53):
not done yet, remarked Gaile, carelessly, turning to look not
finished at all. Jason watched with frozen admiration as Trevor
said something briefly to the women on either side of him,
and then reached for his water glass, dipped a napkin
in it, and wiped his mouth before taking a drink.
As he drank, however, water began to drip uncontrollably from

(01:53:15):
the glass onto his chin, and the blue dye that
had not been completely removed spread further down his neck
and onto his white shirt. Setting the glass down roughly,
Trevor raised his eyebrows in an expression of growing despair,
put on an insincere smile, and gave his shirt a
cursory inspection before reaching for another glass that had appeared

(01:53:36):
to his right. Dipping the napkin into the water again,
he wiped the shirt for a few feudal moments before
touching the napkinto his lips and teeth, rubbing them discreetly.
But a moment after he touched his lips with the napkin,
his expression quickly changed from annoid to puzzled, and then
to mildly upset. To confirm his thoughts, Trevor picked up

(01:53:56):
his glass and took a sip, whereupon his expression of
first straution instantly turned to panic, and his face turned
a deep red color and his eyes seemed to pop
out of his eye sockets. His appearance deteriorated further when
he ran his hand mindlessly over his scalp, inadvertently turning
his perfectly oiled hair into an ill formed stack of

(01:54:17):
black spikes. The final humiliation came when, in a desperate
attempt to find relief, Trevor started to get up to
run to the bathroom, but found that he was somehow
stuck to the chair. Unable to free himself, he grabbed
the nearest knife and began desperately sawing off the spot
on his pants that was obviously glued to the seat,

(01:54:37):
while the polite exclamations of his fellow diners grew more
and more intense and turned into not quite polite laughter,
Trevor finally stood up with a tearing sound and paused
briefly before rushing into the restroom, wild hair, wild eyes,
blue lips, and red face. In Jason's opinion, Trevor had
gone from confidently handsome party leader to some kind of

(01:54:59):
corporate clown in a matter of moments, well dressed with
a powerful circus act, an image that would be etched
in the memory of Jason and all the guests present
for years to come. Oh my god, that's just really
cruel I and incredibly funny, said Jason, turning to Penny,
who was watching with a look of smug amusement. Oh yes,

(01:55:21):
yes it was, she replied with practiced nonchalance, especially the
last part. I didn't expect it. Jason's voice became a
conspiratorial half whisper, What do you mean you didn't expect it?
That's a credit to you, isn't it. It wasn't just me,
In fact, it was mostly my partner in crime.

Speaker 2 (01:55:41):
Partner.

Speaker 1 (01:55:42):
Well, yes, I needed help pulling this off, and I
found the perfect person, a grown man with the heart
of a twelve year old boy. Gale nodded faintly toward
the end of the table, where Jason spotted his father,
grinning like the cheshire cat. His smile grew even war
when he saw the couple looking at him, and he

(01:56:02):
raised his wineglass in a toast. Oh my God, said Jason, laughing,
What have I gotten myself into? I don't know, Gail replied,
lowering her eyes and wrapping her arm around his What
did you get yourself into?

Speaker 2 (01:56:17):
Heaven? Heaven? I guess.

Speaker 1 (01:56:19):
Penny parked the pick up under a shady tree, wiped
the sweat from her forehead, and cursed the broken air
conditioner before climbing out of the cap. She walked slowly
up the dirt concrete driveway and weed strewn cracks to
the duplex door, passing a tiny lawn with crisp brown
grass and a perpetually broken sprinkler that stood as a

(01:56:40):
monument to the futility of summer time. She unlocked the
screen door and stepped through the open front door into
the living room. The fan on the crate by the
sofa was running at high speed, blowing air on her
sleeping husband. She slammed the door shut on purpose, creating
enough noise to make Kenny stir and open his eyes. Hey, babe,

(01:57:01):
he said in a husky voice, rubbing a hand through
his unkempt hair.

Speaker 2 (01:57:05):
What time is it? Penny?

Speaker 1 (01:57:07):
Stood with her hands on her hips and surveyed the
cluttered living room. An empty pizza box and an uneaten
bowl of cereal on the coffee table, a video game
console on the floor by the couch, a pair of socks,
and a few folded pieces of paper. The TV was
on the intro to the video game was playing, and

(01:57:27):
country style music was playing on the radio in the kitchen.
It's four hundred thirty, Kenny, she said, and headed for
the fan, leaning over to catch the breeze on her face.
Did you interview for any jobs today? Henny sat up straight,
stretching lazily. How was I supposed to go on interviews
when you have a truck? Penny stood up again and

(01:57:49):
put her hands on her hips, raising her eyebrows. I
don't know. You could have looked online, filled out some forms,
made some calls. It's been seven months and were really
at our financial limit. Have you done anything anything? Kenny
held his breath, letting out an intermittent hiss. Yeah, I
did something. I checked the net for available positions, but

(01:58:12):
there was nothing but crap. Maybe if you work a
shitty job for a while, it won't kill you. Maybe
not being a nagging bitch won't kill you either. Penny's
face darkened momentarily, and she covered her mouth with her hands,
blinking her eyes rapidly. Kenny's facial expressions softened, and he
quickly stood up and walked over to Penny, put his

(01:58:32):
arms around her, and whispered in her ear. I'm sorry, Penny,
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. It's just
I don't want to settle for some chore that doesn't
pay enough. He pulled away from her a little and
looked into her eyes. Just stick with me, babe. You
know there's a new dealership opening up on the west

(01:58:53):
side of town and I'm eyeing a place there. We'll
be fine. Just give me some space and time. Penny
snorted and nodded. Okay, Kenny, okay, I'm.

Speaker 2 (01:59:04):
Just stressed out.

Speaker 1 (01:59:05):
My accounting job doesn't paytiit an amore, and we have
no savings at all. We really need a second income.
I know, Penny, I know, and I'll get it soon.
Don't worry, baby, don't worry. They gave each other a
half smile, then walked to a small alcove between the
kitchen and living room, where there was a desk with

(01:59:26):
a computer and some filing cabinets. She sat down at
the table, hovered her mouse to turn on the computer,
shuffled through the papers, and pulled out a credit card
to pay our bills. After a few minutes of punching
in numbers, she pushed the papers aside and arching her back,
yoned deeply, then returned to the computer to check the history.

(01:59:46):
With a sense of disappointment and satisfaction at the same time,
she noted that the list of available jobs had one
search result mixed in with sports pages and YouTube videos.
She glanced over at her husband, who was pulling a
slice of room temperature pizza from a box on the
coffee table. Want some, he asked, holding out a second,

(02:00:08):
drooping slice as an offering. She shook her head, no,
no thanks. I I was planning on going out with
the girls tonight, remember boh yeh, yeah. He nodded and chewed. Hey,
don't spend too much money, he added, after he swallowed.

Speaker 2 (02:00:25):
I won't.

Speaker 1 (02:00:26):
She gave Kenny a warm half smile, and he gave
her a toothy grin in return, before returning to the
important task of devouring the pizza. She watched her husband
for a minute and couldn't help but see him as
a boy in a man's body, with his messy yellow hair,
disheveled clothes, and enthusiasm for pizza. For a moment, she
thought it was the same boy she'd met in junior

(02:00:48):
high school over twenty years ago. Absent mindedly, she reached
for the wooden box on the shelf above the table
and opened it blindly, pulling out a familiar opal pendant.
She took the pen in her hands and watched her
husband for a moment, then leaned back in her chair,
eyes closed, a dreamy, wistful expression on her face, but

(02:01:09):
the smile disappeared when she heard swearing and slowly opened
one eye to see Kenny struggling with a video game
controller on the television. Wrinkling her nose in mild disgust,
she frowned for a moment before biting her lip and
looking at the box again. With a slow, hesitant, guilty movement.
She brought her free hand to the box and carefully

(02:01:29):
lifted a piece of falt covered cardboard and pulled out
a beautiful gold ring with a shining diamond. She held
the ring in the palm of her hand, contemplating something
and then slipped it on her finger, secretly admiring it
as it sparkled under the overhead light. Glancing around the
living room, she returned to the computer and with a

(02:01:49):
long sentimental sigh, began to run her fingers over the keyboard,
quickly bringing up a series of images that were familiar
to her. Pages and pages of materials she had collected
and saved over nearly a decade. Images pulled from social media,
company announcements and news articles. Images of Jason him surrounded
by a group of business men in blue suits announcing

(02:02:12):
a promotion. Him and his beautiful wife splashing in the
waves and lying on the beach on their honeymoon in Hawaii.
A family photo in front of a beautiful home, with
his wife smiling, father John, and an adorable toddler with
a crooked smile. The perfect house, the perfect family, the
perfect life. The sound of the phone ringing brought Penny

(02:02:34):
out of her reverie, and she awkwardly picked up the receiver,
immediately confronted by the endlessly cheerful voice of Betsy Palmer. Hi,
how's the birthday girl? Two days late? Are you ready
for the bachelorette party? Penny thought for a moment before answering,
her voice hesitant and confused. Yeah, Betsy, I don't know.

(02:02:55):
I've been thinking. Our budget is limited and oh no
you don't. It's your birth day present from all the girls.
You're not paying anything, so no excuses. Okay, we'll all
be there, the whole gang except Teresa of course. Wait
Teresa can't come. Why Betsy's enthusiasm faded for a moment.

(02:03:17):
I guess you haven't heard. She's well, she got a
second job and can't come in today. Tim is back
in rehab and she has to work part time to
make ends meet. So, oh shit, I had no idea.
Betsy glared again. Yeah it sucks, but look, we'll do
her some other time. Tonight, we're going to have a blast,

(02:03:38):
and you'd better not be late or.

Speaker 2 (02:03:40):
We'll miss the start of the show. The show.

Speaker 1 (02:03:43):
Ye remember we talked about going to the movies, and
there's a new romantic comedy with Jennifer Lawrence on. It's
supposed to be really cute, but it starts at seven
zero zero, so we have to have time to eat.
There was a pause as Penny bit her lip and
thought before replying in a reluctant and concerned tone. Is

(02:04:03):
that is that all that's playing? Well, there's also a
Tarantino Western, but that's pretty much the only option. Betsy
highlighted the words Tarantino's Western with a long, sarcastic stroke,
clearly expressing her disapproval. Penny snorted before replying, her voice
remaining quiet and unsure. I, I don't know. I think

(02:04:24):
maybe I should watch a western. Betsy's voice became incredulous,
and she let out a half hearted chuckle. Really, you're kidding,
aren't you a shooter? I didn't know you liked westerns.
Penny pressed her lips together and looked at her husband,
who was sitting cross legged on the old rug amidst
the trash and junk he'd let accumulate around him, completely

(02:04:46):
absorbed in his video game, furiously manipulating the controller. And
then she looked at the image on her computer screen again,
Jason and his perfect little family standing happily in front
of their gorgeous home. When she amir answered, there was
a deep melancholy tinged with sentimentality and regret in her voice. Betsy,

(02:05:06):
it's not that it's not that I like westerns, Penny gasped,
It's that I really really hate romantic comedies. I am
Lady Truth and I hope you enjoyed that cheat. More
stories to come, and I will talk to you in
the next one.