A Thanksgiving to Remember

Her vocabulary was at its best this afternoon. The “son of a bitch” flew out of her mouth and stuck on the counter. “Mother Fucker,” went a little bit further and landed with a splat somewhere close to the entry door. Ronnie’s movements were swift and determined. The turkey was about twenty-two pounds. She was going to use her new quick turkey cooker tonight. Her small hands sutured the bird like a surgeon. She grabbed the turkey string and began to wrap it tightly around the turkey’s wings and legs.

 “There, that should hold you”, Ronnie said as she grabbed for her half-filled glass of Chivas.

  “God damn him,” spit out of her mouth and hung for a few seconds in the air while she tipped the warm liquid to her tightly drawn lips. The words floated gently upwards, popped like soap bubbles and began rolling across the wooden floor leaving a stain on the wood.

  Ronnie began to shake and the tears fell silently down her cheeks. Not again. She wasn't going to spend another holiday alone! She took the last big gulp of scotch and began to pour another one. Her hand grabbed for the phone beside her.

  “Not again,” raged through her alcoholic brain.

  “Not again you asshole, not again!"

  Ronnie pushed the re-dial as she had done eight times before, starting at 11 am. The clock on the wall read 12:32.

  “Irvine Motors,” the sultry voice purred.

  “Is he still there?” Ronnie slurred, “let me talk to the Son of a bitch.”

   I’m sorry Ronnie, you just missed him,” Carole said as she looked at Ted and rolled her eyes upward. Ted stood up and turned his back to his secretary.

  “I know he’s there. You give that cocksucker a message. You tell that fat fuck if he doesn’t call me back immediately he’ll suffer the consequences and I mean big time.”

   She slammed the phone back on the receiver with a heavy thud and collapsed back into her chair.

  Carole stood up and put her hand softly against Ted’s back. “Don’t you think you should tell her now?”

  Ted turned and held Carole’s face with his hands. He looked purposely into her bright blue eyes and said ”No.” Ted bent over, picked up his Armani jacket and walked deliberately out of the room.

  “Shit.” was all Carole could muster. She watched him walk away from the office window. Ted sauntered like a leopard as he made his way across the car lot and climbed into his new 1978 Corvette.

  “What now.” She thought, “I might have blown it big time”. Carole sat back down and wondered if he would come by her place tonight.

 Two years. Two years of her life with Ted and she had gotten almost nothing but broken promises. Carole’s hand went to her wrist and absently fondled the diamond bracelet he had given her the week before. She loved the presents, the sex was consuming, and Ted was a complex and exciting man. She never knew where she stood, the ground was always shaking beneath her feet. It was all so confusing. God, even now she wanted him. For an instant she glanced at the phone. “No, that would really blow it. I can’t call her. "Maybe" he’d tell Ronnie about them tonight, she thought.

  Ted punched the gas pedal as he started to get onto the 55 Freeway heading to Newport Beach.

  “Fuck them all, fuck all the women in his life, who needs them anyway.”

  As the speedometer raced to 110, he began to relax with the speed and the power he felt. "Trouble, that’s all any of them are, Goddamn cunts!”

   Ted thought Carole would be different. The first time he saw her bend over he wanted that cute, sexy piece of ass. It didn't take long either, it never did with him. A contemptible smile began to form on his sensuous lips. His mind wandered as the corvette began to keep pace with the busy holiday traffic.

  Ted began to form a picture of Carole in his mind. Five foot seven, thick auburn hair, a round tight ass and young tit’s that stood at attention when he moved his tongue unhurriedly over her erect nipples.

   His cock began to swell as he picked up the car phone. “Irvine Motor’s,” Carole answered.

  "It’s me, look, I’m sorry you know the pressure I’ve been under, meet me at the Dry Dock at six o’clock.”

  “Sure Honey,” Carole said as the line went dead in her ear. “Why can’t he pick me up sometimes?” “I always have to be the one who drives. "At least he called," she thought.

  Ronnie awoke with a start! She looked at the clock; it was already Two PM. Her head was pounding and her mouth was dry. Ronnie reached for the Chivas Regal bottle and filled her glass to the top. “Time to get to work”.

  The dining room table was already set. Thank God she had done that last night. The Baccarat crystal was gleaming and the lenox plates were set for six. Ted always loved the way she set a table. She started to remove all but two place settings. Ronnie tried to remember their last dinner party.

  “Was it March?" No May,” she gasped. “That was last year, shit so long ago.” She could have sworn it was March of this year, “Where has the time gone.”

  Ronnie and Ted’s parties were legends. Ronnie was a gourmet cook and Ted was the perfect host. The liquor never stopped flowing. They always had a surprise entertainer and the party’s lasted until three or four AM. Car people could party, drink and gamble. What a shame the Jones’s and Campbell’s had cancelled. “Fuck them too!''

  For the last year Ted and Ronnie had not been invited or included to their parties. “So what if she had a little too much to drink at the last few, who were they to talk.” It wasn’t her fault that bitch Wendy started that fight. “He’ll be home, I know we’ve had our problems, but it’s Thanksgiving for Christ sake!”

  Ronnie rearranged the flowers and moved the candles to center them perfectly on the table. “Time for a drink,” she thought.

    Ted drove down P.C.H and turned into the parking lot of the Dry Dock. A pretty blond pulled along side his car and he watched as she opened her door and got out. Ted opened his door and leaned smugly against the car.

  “Hey, good looking,” Can I buy you a drink?”

  The tall shapely blond looked at the new Corvette and back to Ted starting at his expensive Gucci shoes and her blue eyes traveled upwards to his Armani suit. Her eyes rested on the rugged handsomeness of Ted’s features and smiled, “Sure, Why not.”         

  Together arm in arm the two went into the bar. “Hey Ted, how’s it going?”

  Ted put his arm casually over the blondes shoulder’s and while looking at the lady’s tits, smiled and said, “Not bad, not bad at all!”

  “Ok” Joe, get one for the lady, and my regular”

  ”What will it be little lady, ”Joe asked. “Gin and tonic.”

  Ted turned and said, “Now my pretty, what do you call yourself?” Leslie, and your name is?”

  “Ted, my friends call me Fast Teddy”.

  Leslie smiled and without a blink responded, “ I hope not to fast.”

  The comment took about Two seconds to register and Ted threw back his head and laughed, “ That’s good, a sense of humor, I like that." "Your pretty cute you know.” “For you baby I’ll change my name to Slowwwww Ted.”

  Leslie smiled and ran her soft pink tongue slowly around her lips, “I like it Slowwwww Ted.”

  Ted moved closer and playfully nibbled at her ear, “We understand each other then.”

     “Perfectly”, Leslie said as her hand slid down his chest and skillfully squeezed his rising member.

  Joe put the drinks down and intuitively walked to the other side of the bar.

  Ronnie began cleaning up the kitchen mess. Everything was done except for the turkey. The cranberries were chilling and the sweet potatoes and vegetables were waiting in pots on the stove. She took a sip of her scotch and decided to take a shower. She loved her house. She and Ted had been living in Irvine for the last six years. The sprawling two story sat on the lake. They had purchased it when Ted took over the new Irvine Motors store. What a killing he made. The money just kept rolling in.

  Ronnie stood in front of the full-length mirror and began to take off her clothes. She looked up while she was unfastening her bra. She stopped in mid motion and her mouth hung open at the sight of her naked body. She stood motionless and gazed at the pitiful sight. She just stood there and looked! For an instant she flew back around and thought someone was standing behind her. No one was there. It was just her and this unrecognizable person in the mirror. Her dark hair hung limply on her bony shoulders. Her bloated face was lined with deep-set wrinkles. Ronnie looked at her protruding stomach and bird like shaped legs. Silently she put her clothes back on and went to get her drink.

  “What have I done to myself?” Consumed with the horrible turn her life had taken, Ronnie continued drinking for the next three hours. She remembered what a beauty she had been. She had always been petite, vivacious, and spunky. Her weight was kept around 102 lbs. And her dress size was Two. Ronnie tried to remember when things had changed.

     She and Ted had been married for eight years. He pursued  her with a vengeance. She was happy then. Ronnie had been recently divorced and living in Newport Beach. She was known as the party girl. Even then Ronnie could drink most guys under the table and come back for more, except for Ted. He loved the chase and Ronnie ran until he caught her in San Diego. They had been seeing each other off and on for about a year. Ronnie was faithful, Ted was not.

  The last straw was when she showed up early for a dinner date and found Ted in bed with her so-called best friend Keri. That’s when she took off for San Diego with Jack.

  “ I should have stayed with him, he really loved me.” She thought.

  Somehow Ted found her and Jack at the Hilton Hotel and beat the shit out of Jack, threw her in his Cadillac and headed for the TJ border. It was Two am. Ted had been drinking, so had Ronnie. She kicked and screamed and called him a S.O.B. He really loved her temper back then. As they approached the border he took one hand off the steering wheel and placed it over Ronnie’s mouth.

  “Shut up for a second, I want to marry you, you crazy Bitch!”

   “When Hell Freezes Over you rotten Bastard!” Ronnie stopped in mid sentence; “You want to what?”

  “Marry Me,” Ted said again.

  “Why, so you can make my life horrible!”Ronnie screamed.

  Ronnie was slowing down and looked at Ted again, “You really mean it?”

  “Of course I do, I asked you didn’t I?”

  “What are you waiting for?" Put the pedal to the metal!” She shrieked in a fit of drunken laughter.

  They were cuddling and holding hands as they passed through the customs gate. It took about eight yards when Ronnie said she wanted a pre nuptial agreement. Ted slammed on the brakes and Ronnie’s head flew back. The car spun around and headed back to the American side.

  “What are you doing, you ass?” Ted yelled back at her, “A nuptial, are you crazy, you know what I paid my last bitch wife.”

  They were once again at the customs gate. The little Mexican officer just shook his head and waved them through.

  “Take me back to the Hilton, you dumb shit.”

    Ted punched the car and started to head back, all of a sudden he turned the car around and started back towards the Mexican border. There were no cars behind him and he stopped.

  “What do you want, what kind of pre-nuptial?”

  “Not a lot, just enough to be comfortable if we split,” Ronnie said.

  Ted looked at Ronnie, “God she was beautiful, a young Liz Taylor. ”

  Once again they crossed to the TJ side. “Crazy Gringos”, the gate guard said to his partner.

  “If you are going to marry me and mean it, I want what you gave your last wife”. 

Ted threw the car in reverse and started to back up again. Ronnie started to laugh. Ted stopped and looked at her, slumped over in a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

  Ted started to laugh then too, he reached over and held Ronnie in his arms, “What the fuck, its only money honey!”

  For a few months life was good. They had fun, “God did they have fun”, Ronnie thought.

  “When did it stop?” She looked at the clock again, it was 5:45 PM.

  Ronnie got up, arched her back and walked purposely into the garage. She stood for a minute and looked around, her eyes found the hammer, extra fishing line and ladder she was looking for. Back in the kitchen, she wrapped the extra line tightly around the turkey, grabbed the ladder and began to work. When she was finished she stepped back to admire her work.

  Ronnie went back into the dinning room and began to unload all the crystal and dishes from her cupboards that she and Ted owned. She placed them onto the table. It took her an hour to successfully smash every piece of china and crystal that Ted cherished. Ronnie drained her glass one last time and went to bed.

  Ted and Leslie were well on their way to a major hangover. Joe had just placed their fourth drink of the afternoon in front of them when Carole walked in the bar and stood behind Ted’s chair. He was wasted, and would not have known Linda Lovelace if she had been standing behind him. Leslie had her hand in Ted’s crotch and Ted had his tongue in Leslie’s ear.

  “How cozy”, Carole said. Ted stopped licking Leslie’s ear but kept his head pressed against it.

  Suddenly he sat up to his full height, “Well Carole, meet my new girlfriend, Carole this is Leslie, Leslie this is Carole.”

  Leslie cocked her head in a drunken roll, “Charmed I’m sure”.

  Carole picked up Ted’s glass and looked at him sweetly, “May I?”

  “Sure baby, go ahead,” Ted slurred.

  “Don’t mind if I do,” with that Carole took the glass and emptied it on to the top of Ted’s head. The ice hit the bar with a plop, and the clear liquid flowed into his eyes and down the front of his Armani suit. Carole turned and hurriedly walked out of the bar.

  “Shit, Ted, take this towel”, Joe said.

  Ted jumped up like a lightening bolt had struck him in the ass and he started for the door.

  Joe watched and shook his head, “There’s trouble now”.

  Carole had her hand on the car door handle when Ted spun her around, backhand  her in the face and she flew against the door.

  Carole put her hand up to her cheek and stared coldly into Ted’s eyes, “If you ever touch me again, I swear, I’ll cut off your balls and stick them up your ass!”

  She opened the car door and drove off. Ted turned in disgust, shook his head to clear it and went back into the bar. Leslie was bending over and picking her purse up off the floor.

  “What are you doing?” Ted said.

  “Leslie looked at the ground and replied, “My husband's going to be home soon, it’s been real!”

  Ted glared at that magnificent ass as he watched it go out the door. His mouth hung open and he sat down heavily on to the barstool.

  “What time is it Joe?”

  “It’s just about six-thirty,” Joe answered.

  “What the hell, I might as well go home,” Ted told Joe as he place a 100.00 bill on the bar, “Keep the change”.

  Joe looked at the hundred and said, “Thanks man”.

   Carole was crying so hard that she had to pull over.

  “That S.O.B, Why did I let him do this to me?”

Carole looked around and saw a phone booth dead a head.

  “I’ll fix him “, she said, as she walked over to the booth.

  Her hands were frantically searching for change. When she found what she needed, Carole placed the coins in to make her call.

  The phone rang and rang. “Please answer while I have the nerve”.

  “Hell-o”, the deep male voice said.

  “Tony, is that you?”

  “Carole, I’ve been hoping you’d call!” Carole felt a rush of relief and calmness overtake her body. She hadn’t had such an easy feeling since she dumped Tony for Ted.

    “Oh, Tony, please forgive me, I realize now that I do love you, will you take me back?”

  “Come on over sweetheart, I’ve been waiting for this call”.

  Carole placed the receiver back and took out some more change. She dialed the number; nothing would stop her now.

  The phone rang, rang, rang, and rang again.

  Just as she was about to hang up a sleepy voice came on, “Hell-o”.

  Carole covered the receiver with her handkerchief. She spoke slowly with a deep voice. “Your husband is having an affair, you’re a fool if you stay with him.”

   “Who is this, Who is this?” Ronnie shook as she held the phone realizing who had called, “Don’t worry Carole, I’m already gone!”

  Ronnie dropped the phone on the floor.

  Ted was on his way home. He didn’t drive like a manic. He drove thoughtfully and carefully. Ted was not alone. He had his thoughts to keep him company. The feel of that cold drink was still on his brain.

  “I’ve been a fool, a total shit!” He knew that Ronnie had been in trouble with alcohol for quite some time.

  He was too. He really did love Ronnie.

  “God they had some great times together,” Ted thought.

  “Maybe with some work we can get back to where we were.” Like a light bulb going off in Ted’s head.

  “Yea, I’ll put her in that Betty Ford center in Palm Springs, Hell I might even go with her.”

  I have been a shit to her. Ted was almost smiling when he pulled the vet into the driveway and looked at the lights inside of his home, their home. He started up the driveway and put the key in the lock, opened the door and started down the hall to the kitchen. Smack! he jerked.

  “What the Fuck?” Hanging above him was the uncooked Thanksgiving turkey. He thought of Mexico, it looked like a piñata. It swung back and hit him again in his head. Ted started to laugh. He laughed until tears were flowing down his cheeks.

  “Ronnie, Ronnie, OK, I give up, let’s cook that sucker and celebrate!”

  Silence, Not a sound came out of the walls of his and Ronnie's home as he walked over the broken crystal and China, he wasn't laughing anymore.

  Ted went to the garage he saw her car was home. “Where was Ronnie"? Ted walked up the stairs and into the bedroom and quickly fell to his knees.

  He saw his wife. She was slumped over the side of the bed holding an empty pill bottle. Her glass of scotch turned over on the bedspread, the ice hadn't even melted yet. Ted gently lifted her head, he knew in an instant that Ronnie was dead.

  He lifted her up and arranged her comfortably on her pillow. Ted, Fast Ted never moved so slowly. In the kitchen he reached for the bottle of Chavis and poured himself a drink.