Jenny's Gambit

Sean looked around the condo where he and Jenny Colby were living. His two duffle bags and his huge Samsonite suitcase, all stuffed with his things, sat by the door. Just before dinner, his buddy Josh had helped him load what little furniture he could rightfully call his into his Chevy Silverado. He checked his watch. It was almost eight o’clock. He had plenty of time before Jenny got home. He was leaving her, this time for good.

He loaded the duffle bags into the backseat of the Silverado and walked back up the stairs to take one last look. He wanted to be sure he left nothing behind. He didn’t want to admit it, but he knew that if he left something behind, say a watch, or a gameday football he’d been awarded a dozen years ago, she would probably lure him back into her life. “You sure about this, Sean?” Josh asked, a smile on his face. “I mean this time you’re really done with her, right?”

“I’m done. I can’t do this anymore. She wants us to get married. That’s not for me. And she’s too damn bossy to suit me.”

Josh nodded. “I’ve heard this before. You know that, right?”

“This time is different. Last time I left I only took a few things, enough to tide me over until things calmed down and she got used to me being gone.”  

Sean Simonetti saw himself as a strong-willed man. A construction worker by trade, at 31, he still played some local league, tackle football on Sunday afternoons. He had enjoyed some of his finest moments in life playing high school football in Nashville. He chose not to attend college. Instead, he went to work for his uncle’s construction company, which specialized in high-cost homes built on oversized lots. The two men drove through the condo development and out onto the main road. It was springtime and the trees were budding.

“She’s a good woman, I’ll grant you that,” Sean said. “But she wants kids too. Can you imagine me chasing a couple of little brats down a damn grocery store aisle?”

“I’ve been doing it for four years. It isn’t bad if you’re with the right one,” Josh said.

“Yeah, and how do you know that? I mean how do you know you’re with the right one?”

“When you find her, you know it. You don’t ask that question. You just know.”

Sean turned his truck onto the Interstate. They would ride north for just one exit. His cousin, who worked for the construction company too, agreed to let him have a spare bedroom for a month or so, until Sean found a place he liked. Presumably, money wasn’t an issue. He made good money. The problem was he liked to spend it. And that was another thing about Jenny. She was always pushing him to save more money.

The two men quickly unloaded the truck at his cousin Kennedy’s place. The bedroom was furnished with a bed, a decent chest of drawers and a nightstand situated next to the bed. “You want help unpacking your clothes?” Josh asked.

“Nah, I got it. Thanks, man”

“Don’t forget to turn your phone off, Sean. Otherwise, you won’t sleep. Jenny will be calling all night.” He laughed. Sean dutifully turned off his phone. He had a couple of beers and settled in for the night. Jenny didn’t know his cousin had the apartment. She wouldn’t be able to track him down. He could relax. It was Monday. Normally he’d be working the next day, but he took a couple of days off. He knew she would show up at his job and raise hell, insisting he come home.

Jenny and Sean had gone to high school together, but didn’t travel in the same circles. She was two years behind him in school. They knew each other because her brother, now a police officer, played on the football team with Sean. They reconnected at a local tryout for the TV show, American Idol. Neither of them was asked to move to the next level, which didn’t surprise them. A group of contestants went to a bar after the tryouts to commiserate. They hit it off, perhaps because they were the only ones in the group who understood going in that they had no chance to advance. It was just something to do. They dated casually after that for a while, drifted apart for a year and then reconnected again at a mutual friend’s wedding.

They soon fell in love and moved in together six months later. That was almost two years ago. They both loved music and dancing and enjoyed bowling in a mixed league in Nashville’s Donelson neighborhood. They hiked and went to movies, often with other couples. The trouble started when a few of the couples started getting married. When Sean wouldn’t take a step in that direction, Jenny was patient with him, but gradually she made her feelings and her needs clear. Sean refused to budge.     

Jenny Colby was a registered nurse, who usually worked the 3 to 11 shift at the medical center. As she drove her white Mustang toward the condo, she called Sean to let him know she was on her way home. It went right to voicemail. She shook her head. He probably forgot to charge his phone again. She hoped he’d be in a good mood. She’d had a rough night and she was bushed. She could really use a nice backrub and with his strong hands he was quite skilled at it. Actually, he was good in almost all the ways that mattered most to her. He was having trouble making a commitment to their relationship, but she felt they were making progress.

When he’d tried to leave a few months ago, she waited him out. It took exactly three days. He showed up one morning, using a lame excuse about forgetting his extra work gloves, as if he couldn’t have bought new ones. They wound up making love and he moved his things back into the condo that afternoon while she was at work.

She pulled into her space and saw that his truck wasn’t there. She tried calling him again in vain. She trudged up the steps, opened the door and knew immediately what had happened. She sat down and cried for fifteen minutes. Then she checked her phone for messages and walked around the condo looking for a note. She wasn’t surprised that he hadn’t left one. Just to be sure, she looked for his belongings, hoping he’d left something behind again. She found one stray pair of socks under his side of the bed.

He had really done it this time. No work gloves, boots, jewelry or electronics to give him an excuse to return. She took a long shower, crying enough to compete with the spray from the shower head. She looked in the mirror while she applied an expensive moisturizing cream to her face. With mid-length blonde hair and green eyes, at 29, she still got plenty of second looks. Even male patients, sick and even dying, were interested.

She went to bed, exhausted. She’d formulate a plan to bring him back. She was certain he loved her and she loved him beyond the moon and back. She would have to be bold this time, even rash if necessary. Naturally, she had a dream about him that night. They were, of all places, on their honeymoon. He was charming, well beyond his capability in real life, but she always saw something in him that he didn’t know he had.

The next morning, Sean was up early, showered and dressed. He didn’t bother to shave. It gave him a feeling of independence. Jenny liked him to be clean shaven. He left his cousin’s place by eight o’clock and drove to a coffee shop several towns away that served the best eggs and country ham he’d ever had. He had no idea how he was going to spend his day until it dawned on him that maybe he should look for an apartment. He checked his bank balance and was relieved to see he had enough money for a security deposit. He could maybe buy some basic furniture, like a bed and a love seat to get him started.

He called his cousin Kennedy. “Hey Cuz, you have any ideas for apartments I can afford?”

Kennedy took his glasses off and placed them on his desk. He didn’t answer immediately. He was sitting in his office and he had Sean on speaker. He said, “Maybe you should just spend a month at my place, like we talked about. Who knows what you and that crazy woman will do?”

“We aren’t going to do anything. It’s over, man.”

“My father’s standing here in my office. He has to tell you something.” He turned the phone toward the older man.

“Jenny called me this morning. She asked me where you are,” he said.

“Oh, damn it to holy hell,” Sean said. “You didn’t tell her, did you?”

“He didn’t tell her, cousin. But if it’s really over, maybe you should tell her. I mean what difference does it make?” Kennedy asked.

“You don’t know her like I do.” Sean ended the call and decided to check out a new apartment complex not far from where he grew up. In fact, his old high school was visible from the higher floors. He met with the rental agent who showed him a spacious one-bedroom apartment. “It’s never been occupied before. Rent is $1,975 a month and includes water.”

“How much is the security deposit?”

“Two months’ rent. It’s available the first of the month, which I think is in two days. The lease is for one year. If you leave in less than a year, you agree to forfeit the security.”

“I’ll take it.” That would show Jenny he was serious this time. His uncle and his cousin too. He felt a surge of confidence in his decision as he signed the papers and accepted the keys. He wrote a check to cover the security and the first month’s rent.

Jenny could tell that Sean’s uncle wasn’t telling her the truth when they spoke. There was a hesitation in his voice, something she’d learned to recognize in her patients when she asked them questions like, “Are you taking the medication your doctor prescribed for you?” The liars always hesitated before answering and their voices were softer than usual.

She would have to visit the construction site where Sean was currently working. One of the guys would tip her off. She knew who to ask, too. She had a plan. She was off that Tuesday, so she waited until the workers’ typical break time and drove to the development. Since she sometimes brought lunch for him and his buddies, the men would recognize her. She decided to pick up some sub sandwiches on her way to the site.

“Uh-oh, here comes trouble,” Matt said as she walked to the picnic bench where four men sat. “Your guy is off today and tomorrow. Didn’t that lousy bastard tell you?” The other men laughed. They knew Matt, who was married, had a crush on Jenny.

“He told me,” she said. “Thought I’d bring you reprobates sandwiches anyway.” She sat with them while they ate. As she hoped, one by one the men drifted off until it was just Matt sitting with her.

“I don’t know where he is,” he said, anticipating her question. “That fool left you again, didn’t he?”

She nodded. “Can you find out where he is?” A tear slipped out.

“Yeah, but why chase him if he doesn’t see what every other man in the world can see?”

“You’re very sweet, Matt.” He reached over and wiped her tear. “But I know he loves me. He just needs a little…push.” She laughed.

“He’s very lucky. I’ll see what I can do.” Matt stood and looked around. No one was nearby. He kissed her cheek and said, “I’ll call you.”

Having rented an apartment, Sean took a ride to see his mother, Sara, who lived nearby. His father had died three years ago. His mother, retired now, was home, doing housework. In her sixties, She was still an attractive woman. He helped her by carrying a load of laundry up the stairs to her bedroom. They talked while she folded. “How’s Jenny?” Mrs. Simonetti asked. She knew the answer. She knew as soon as she had seen her son’s face, but she asked anyway.

“I moved out. For good this time.”

“I see.” She was folding bedsheets and motioned for him to give her a hand.

“She wants to get married, Ma, and I’m just not ready.”

“Your father wasn’t ready either. So, I shut him out.” She grinned. “Took him three weeks to propose. He held out longer than I thought he would.”

“You think I should marry Jenny?”

“You know better than to ask a question like that.”

“Were you and Dad happy?”

“Mostly, yes. I still miss him, if that means anything.”

“How’s Jack doing?” Jack was a man Sara Simonetti met at church. Mrs. Simonetti had no interest in remarrying, so they’d moved in together more than a year ago.

Mrs. Simonetti rolled her eyes. “Sometimes I wish he would move out.”

Sean laughed. “Maybe I should have come home instead of renting an apartment.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said, a smile on her face. “You rented an apartment already?”

“Yeah.” His mother shook her head and patted her son’s shoulder. 

Matt called Sean after work. Could have used your brute strength today, dummy.”

“I’ll be back Thursday. What’s up?”

“Your girlfriend stopped by today. Brought us lunch. Told us the sad tale. Where are you hiding this time?”

“Oh brother. She’s relentless. Better to keep her in the dark for now.”

“Sean, you really think you’re done with her?”

“One hundred percent. I’m done.” He told Matt about his new apartment.

The two men chatted about work for a while and then about the start of the baseball season. They both followed Vanderbilt’s team and the Nashville Sounds, closely. As Matt was pulling into his driveway, he said, “How about if I pick you up and take you out for a burger and a few beers? The wife and kids are at her mother’s tonight.”

“Sounds great. I’ll meet you at Brothers Burgers, on the condition you don’t call Jenny.”

“Why would I do that? I don’t even have her number.” Which was true.      

The men watched a basketball game while they ate burgers and drank draft beer. When it was time to go, both were just below the point where they shouldn’t drive. Matt knew that Sean would put his radio on and sing along with country music he was listening to. He decided to follow him. It wasn’t hard and since he also knew about Kennedy’s pad, when Sean turned onto the street where it was, Matt had his answer.

“Hi, Matt.” When Jenny saw him in the hospital cafeteria on Wednesday night, she wasn’t terribly surprised. She was taking her dinner break. She knew the man was sweet on her, but she also trusted him. He had never said, let alone done, anything out of line.

“I took a chance you might be here. I have some info for you,” Matt said. “But it will cost you.” She looked at him, suddenly worried. He noticed and his face flushed. “Nothing like that sweet pea. You just have to buy me dinner.” He handed her a slip of paper with Sean’s address. “And, you have to promise you’ll never tell him where you got it.”

“I can do that, but I don’t have my wallet. Dinner is free for the nurses, so, I didn’t bring it.”

He laughed and pretended he was going to take the slip of paper back. “I was only kidding about the dinner.”

They ate together, sitting at a table in the corner of the cafeteria. There weren’t many people there. “Matt, do you think Sean loves me?”

“I do. He’s just being an ass. I don’t know why.” He hesitated. “Well, maybe I do. He’s probably afraid it won’t work out, that he’ll be disappointed, or worse, he’ll disappoint you somehow.”

Jenny pushed some corn onto her fork. “What do you think I should do?”

“Do what your heart tells you,” Matt said. He took a bite of fried chicken tender. “Maybe give him one more push, but if that doesn’t work, leave him be. You can’t make him want what you want, you know?”

Jenny pushed her plate away. “Yes, I can.” She stood and gave Matt a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thanks.”

Sean went back to work on Thursday morning. He was glad to have something to do. He hated to admit it, but he missed Jenny. It was for the best, he told himself. He had a very busy day. He was, by trade, a carpenter. That day he used his hammer a lot, putting together the prefabricated wall panels that framed a house’s structure. Usually, he supervised the work, but two crew members didn’t come to work that day. By the end of his shift, he was exhausted. On his way to the apartment, he picked up a pizza and a six pack. He would fall asleep early, which was a relief, because he wouldn’t be spending time thinking about her.

He opened the door to his apartment and walked in. He sat at the tiny kitchen table and ate his first slice quickly. His cell phone rang. He had forgotten to turn it off. It was Jenny. He wasn’t ready to talk to her yet. Knowing her, he was sure she would keep calling him. He decided to turn it off and put the phone in his bedroom. He walked into the room and was shocked by what he saw, or rather, by what he didn’t see. His belongings were missing. There wasn’t a single thing of his in the room. Even the bed had been stripped.

He called Kennedy and asked, “Did you evict me? Where’s all my stuff?”

“What are you talking about?” Kennedy asked.

“My stuff, my clothes, shoes, my good watch, everything is missing, man. What gives?”

“I have no idea. Maybe that crazy girlfriend of yours took your stuff and threw it in the dumpster.” Kennedy couldn’t help it, he was laughing.

Sean walked into the bathroom. On the mirror, scrawled in lipstick was a short note. “Come home baby.”

“Never mind, Cuz. I got it.” Sean hung up and went back to the kitchen to eat another slice. He sipped his beer. Now what? He didn’t know.  

There was no point in delaying the inevitable. He assumed Jenny was working. It seemed juvenile, but he didn’t have a choice. He would have to repack his things and take them back to the apartment. When he got to the condo, though, he saw Jenny sitting on the stoop in front of the door.

“What took you so long?” she asked.

“I came for my things. How did you get into my apartment?”

“My brother is a cop. Did you forget?”

Sean’s shoulders slumped slightly. “Why did you do that?”

She looked at him, studying his face. “If you take your things back, it’s over. I love you and I want to marry you. I know that scares you, but maybe you should be afraid of winding up a lonely middle-aged man with nobody who loves you.”

“You have my life figured out, do you?”

“If you want your things, I won’t stop you. I’ll take a ride and come back after you’re gone. Let me just ask you one question. Are you in love with me, Sean?”

He jammed his hands in his pocket. The feelings he’d been wrestling with for the last few days came to the surface with a near volcanic force. “Yeah, damn it. I am.”

Jenny stood up. “Are you coming in, Mister, or do I take a ride?” She was crying now, but fighting it.

Sean shook his head. He looked at her pretty face and he knew the answer. He walked the few steps to her and hugged her. They kissed, a long, satisfying kiss. He said, “Just so you know, I’m going to lose the security deposit on my new apartment.”

They laughed. It was money well spent.