Blackmail Is A Way Of Life

Mary Ann's life was quiet and peaceful which now consisted of going to work and back home. She usually stop at a fast food establishment to pick up something to eat because on one hand she hated to cook and on the other hand, it was cheaper to buy a hamburger than to make a hamburger at home. Having some friends that at first kept asking her to spend the night out with them. She agreed twice and found the nights boring and the music especially loud. She was a home body person which was just fine with her. She spent most of her nights either watching some movie on television or curled up in bed with a good book. She always shut the lights off by ten which gave her eight hours of good rested sleep. Another plus to not going out with her friends was that she never had to go to work sick to her stomach and her throbbing.

She had walked the same path every night and met the same people on her way home. Having decided on having Chinese that night for dinner, she went down the street she called "hotel street". All the fancy hotels were on this street and she could watch the snooty rich people going into the hotel from their limos. She had even been witness to a man and his wife arguing about how soon he was going to dump his girlfriend plus how expensive this trip was going to be for him. She laughed as she went around that crowd to keep on going toward her apartment.

Going into the Chinese establishment and placing her order for 2 eggrolls and Sesame Chicken with sweet and sour sauce. She went to stand by the window to wait for her order. She wondered what exciting thing she would see today. Watching as a black limo pulled up, she wondered what rich person was in it? She watched as the driver got out to open the back door as the most beautiful lady step out. She closed her eyes slightly to get a better look as the woman looked like someone she knew. Mary Ann couldn't place the woman until one of the reporters touched the woman to get her attention and she remember an action whenever someone touched this snotty rich girl that she went to school with. She would look at the person with a look of disbelief and utter evil in her eyes. "How dare you touch me" Then, she would take these white gloves she had with her to brush off that person's germs. The offensive person was escorted away from her by an security guard from the hotel. That lady was Marsha LeMan. She heard that she had been forced by her parents to marry a man she had dated. She wondered if the man to follow was her husband? Why did her parents force them to get married?

Still watching from the window to see who would get out from the limo behind the woman, she felt glued to the car. She watched as a man's trouser leg was soon to follow. Watching as the man's whole body slowly came out of the car, she watched as his head came into view. As he turned his face in her direction, she gasped loudly as she recognized the man as David Stuart, one of her ex-boyfriend. He look like he was fifty years old. David wouldn't be married or even in the same universe as Marsha. In high school, the traveled two different worlds. Her parents were rich and trend setters. His parents were poor and mean to David. Marsha's parents gave her whatever she wanted. Which meant in high school, she wanted the school's quarterback, Tyler Nelson, and this little red sports car she drove around. David had an old beat up motorcycle that he put together by getting parts for his motorcycle by working in Steve's Auto Repair Shop. He had become the best mechanic there was.

Marsha and David couldn't be married. They didn't even talk to each other back in school. In fact, David did impression of Marsha sweeping off germs which caused everyone to laugh like there was no tomorrow. David was really cruel to Marsha back in school and everyone thought he was trying to take her down a peg or two. They couldn't be married because they hated each other. Or did they, she wasn't sure of anything anymore. She had to find out who those two people were that looked like Marsha and David. She would call Tyler, the quarterback from the past and see if he knew anything. Tyler worked in her building and she would ask him if he knew who Marsha was married to and where they were living. Tyler was a nice guy now that he had got away from Marsha. David looked so old, past his years and he looked so sad and depressed.

She heard her name being called that her order was done. Watching as the couple disappeared into the hotel, she left her place at the window to go up to the counter to pick up her dinner for tonight. Her mind was still on the couple in the hotel and for once she couldn't wait to get to work to talk to Tyler.

The next few days she was walked by the same hotel in hopes of crossing paths with David. She wanted to see if he was happy and ask if he was force to marry Marsha? Why was he forced to marry the person he disliked so much at school? She knew that was in the past and she hadn't kept up with David ,but still she thought she would have heard something through the grapevine. How had they hooked up to be married?

She decided to go into the bar in the luxury hotel to see if she could spot them walking around. She felt like she was spying on David like a jealous girlfriend or wife instead of acting like a caring friend. She hoped she could get David alone for a heart to heart talk because she wasn't too sure on the welcome she would get from Marsha. Mary Ann was pretty sure she would either get made fun of or completely ignored from the precious Marsha.

She had only planned to stay an hour before going to order food to eat at home. The music was playing softly in the background and she was on her second drink when a man sat down near her. Completely, ignoring him until she heard his husky voice order his drink, she knew the man was David and here was her chance to see how he was doing. Why did she all of a sudden feel very nervous and scared about what she would actually find out?

She looked over at the man sitting there looking at his drink as if it was it was a snake ready to bite him. She spoke his name softly and he acted as if he didn't even hear her or care to response to her saying his name. He was in another world dreaming about having a better life for himself.

She tried one more time to get his attention. "David, how are you?" This time her voice was louder ,so he could hear her over the music. He looked up and had a blank look on his face. It had been five long years since they had seen each other. Maybe he didn't recognize her or want to show any signs that he knew her. Watching as his lips moved slowly to say "Mary Ann!"

They hugged each other and David said "Sorry, I can't stay long. I am meeting Marsha pretty soon in the entry way. We are going to another party that she is dragging me too. I would love to talk with you ,but I better get going. Marsha gets rude and mean if I keep her waiting. See you later!"

She watched as he left the bar area to join Marsha standing near the door to the hotel. She took his arm and they left together for another party of hers, wherever her friends lived in this vast town. Another party made Mary Ann wonder how many parties they went to and whose friends they were.

"Is that guy a friend of yours? He doesn't seem to happy with his marriage or to be in love with his wife? I asked him once why he doesn't divorce her and he said he can't. What does that mean? He can divorce her, I divorce two wives already." She listened to the bartender go on about how unhappy he thought David was and things he had said or did to make him think the way he did. Mary Ann added a few comments ,but all she could think about was talking to Tyler tomorrow at work to get the full story on David and Marsha.

At lunch the next day, she spoke to Tyler and get the shock of her life. David and Marsha had been meeting each other secretly and exploring each other bodies. He would come to school and make fun of her because they both knew that her dad would be super mad at whoever she liked and what they did for living. She had gotten pregnant by David and their parents forced them to get married or legal charges would be brought against David. David's dad was working for Marsha's dad and David was told that his dad would be fired for stealing. His family depended on his paycheck to live and pay bills. Marsha's dad would make sure that no one else hired him. Mary Ann knew now that Marsha had got her meanness from her dad.

She felt so sorry for David being in a loveless marriage and by the sounds of it staying there by blackmail by Marsha's dad. She wondered how Marsha felt being married to David in this fashion? Mary Ann was shocked to know that she felt sorry for the both of them.