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126 pages

English

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Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Roger Preston believed he had the perfect marriage. The lovely home, trophy wife, great job, friends. It's difficult to say just how much Covid-19 had to do with his rude awakening to the truth. But, without it, none of this story may have happened. Roger learns that the lifelong contract, 'til death do us part, is breakable; that the perfect marriage is an illusion. Two divorces, a murder. one trial by jury, new friendships, and one happy reunion are Roger's new reality. Pandemic to blame? Quite likely.

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Charlotte Lewis

Fiction

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Publié par	Xlibris US
Date de parution	12 octobre 2022
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781669851158
Langue	English

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BOOKS BY CHARLOTTE LEWIS
The Oregon Trail Series
Becky
Rebecca
Anna
Amanda
The Abigail Stone Mystery Series
Bump
The Letters
Lily
The Hedge
Mysteries & Novels
Chris
Eleanor
Bethany
The House
Sam
Mystery of the Mountain Cabin
The Lawyer
The Strathmann Academy of Music at Riverwind
The Secret of the River
The Myles Souris Journal (living in a retirement community)
The Call
My Name is...Eve
The Yellowstone Caldera
The Preacher’s Path
The Enchanted Cat
‘til death us do part
Young Reader Stories
The Impetuous Journey of Harry Fischer, CAT
Markie and Me
‘til death do us part...

CHARLOTTE LEWIS

Copyright © 2022 by Charlotte Lewis.

Library of Congress Control Number:
2022914483
ISBN:
Hardcover
978-1-6698-5117-2

Softcover
978-1-6698-5116-5

eBook
978-1-6698-5115-8

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 10/12/2022

Xlibris
844-714-8691
www.Xlibris.com
847220
CONTENTS
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
ELEVEN
TWELVE
THIRTEEN
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN
SIXTEEN
SEVENTEEN
EIGHTEEN
NINETEEN
TWENTY
TWENTY-ONE
TWENTY-TWO
TWENTY-THREE
TWENTY-FOUR
TWENTY-FIVE
TWENTY-SIX
TWENTY-SEVEN
TWENTY-EIGHT
TWENTY-NINE
THIRTY
THIRTY-ONE
THIRTY-TWO
THIRTY-THREE
THIRTY-FOUR
THIRTY-FIVE
THIRTY-SIX
THIRTY-SEVEN
AUTHOR’S NOTE

“Friends…they cherish one another’s hopes. They are kind to one another’s dreams.”
Henry David Thoreau

ONE
Until the pandemic called Covid-19, Roger Preston thought he had the perfect marriage. He and Lydia had been married more than two decades when everything more or less shut down, turned off or closed. Twenty-three years to be exact. They owned a nice ranch style home complete with swimming pool and covered deck. Children had never been a part of their plan – Lydia was a ‘career’ woman and had no desire to set her career aside for children. Not quite the definition she used the one time children were discussed. It was more like ‘snotty nosed, little whiners’. Roger didn’t mind – well, not really. A trophy wife, a nice home, a comfortable well paying job – what more could a man ask?
Though there were times Roger asked himself that very question. Lydia is quite well-known in her field. Interior design and decorating has always been a big thing with the well-to-do and a dream of those not so well-to-do. While in college, she majored in something that related to the field. Roger never quite understood the terminology. But he knew it required a lot of hard work, late nights, and a great wardrobe.
After thinking about it, he could see how children would require more time and effort than Lydia had to offer And, off-spring seem to be over-rated anyhow.
Yes, children would be a big responsibility. He knew several women who worked in his firm that were ambitious and career minded. Once, at a chance meeting in the employee lounge, Roger asked one of the working mothers how she managed. It was quite simple. She had a nanny – not a live-in nanny. Just one that came half an hour before she left for the day and stayed until she or her husband came home. Roger asked if that was a satisfactory arrangement. The biggest issue was the paperwork required by the State. Other than that, it was absolutely the best solution. Her children always knew who would be caring for them and she knew that person was responsible. When asked if he was considering children, Roger admitted that no, he was just curious how a woman, as busy as she, handled her children’s care. Roger felt she had been flattered that he had chosen her to ask as there are other mothers in the office. Truthfully, it was an impulse question and she happened to be the only mother available.
But there are many things to keep a couple active. Before they closed, local bars were favorite meeting places. Lydia and Roger watched some major sports and had a beer or two. They talked and danced. They socialized with friends, and had a good time. After the bars closed, they stayed at home and often had a drink or two on their deck. Before the pandemic, they had neighborhood potluck suppers on the deck. And pool parties and all their friends would spend the afternoon having a good time. They went to ball games; picnics, weddings and funerals. Lydia and Roger were not really stay at home folk...before.
Both were employed and went into their offices daily. Roger seldom left the office once he got there as he’s just a numbers guy who helps people save/spend their money. Lydia works for an interior decorating firm and is out of the office a lot. Out of the office and in other people’s homes and offices.
During the ‘shut-down’, as Lydia called it, Lydia was able to do much of her work from home. Everyone from Roger’s office was working from home. Though they both had their own separate home office, Lydia seemed irritated that she ran into Roger so frequently. Breakfast, lunch, various times during the day, he seemed to be away from his desk frequently. She voiced her irritation sometimes. It got to the point that Roger was almost relieved when Lydia would say that she absolutely had to go into the office for some reason. Most of her staff worked from home. Her secretary came in Monday and Friday – well, just on the last six months. And they have an in-person group meeting on Mondays now that Covid seems to be easing. It’s more productive than Zoom. Roger never asks much about her work as he doesn’t know what she is talking about most of the time. Drapes and carpets he knows – some of the things she mentions he has never heard of. So he says ‘Drive carefully.’ and offers her a peck on the cheek.
After a few months however, Roger felt that she was deliberately setting appointments out of the house. He worried about her as she didn’t wear a mask, unless absolutely mandated wherever she was, because it messed up her makeup. It wasn’t until that was said that he realized she wore makeup, and quite a lot. How had he missed that all these years?
Soon he realized that she was gone every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. He mentioned it at dinner one evening and she said, “Really? I hadn’t noticed.” But every Tuesday and Thursday around one, she’d put on a jacket, pick up her briefcase and say, “Off to the office. I should be home by dinner.”
Perhaps that was why he realized the frequency. He was left to prepare dinner those days as she would breeze in about five minutes before the time they usually sat down to eat. At first, he hadn’t made dinner. He didn’t understand that she said ‘by dinner’. Not ‘in time to make dinner’. Roger is a fair cook. Indeed, there are many things he prepares superior to hers. He began experimenting. He even bought an instant pot and then an air fryer. Next thing he knew, he was also doing the grocery shopping. Well, that made sense. At least, for the two nights a week he was cooking. Then she complimented him highly and suggested he take over the kitchen. He was much, much better at it than she. Roger wasn’t sure if he should feel flattered or put upon. Either way, he was soon preparing dinner at least five nights a week.
Then she began making morning appointments in the client’s home. She poo-pooed Roger’s concern saying she wasn’t with a group of strangers and if the client was not worried, neither was she. It made sense to meet there – this was the home they were planning to completely redecorate.
Meanwhile, Roger realized he enjoyed cooking and whenever his work was complete, or at a standstill which happened frequently, he would be in the kitchen. Lydia didn’t seem to notice the quality of her evening meal was getting better nearly every day. Roger experimented with various types of food and found a recipe site on line that seemed written for new cooks. He referred to it often.
Yes, the pandemic made a lot of changes in their lives. No way can it be said it was the cause of all of the things that happened in the next few years. However, it definitely facilitated everything.
TWO
One evening at dinner Lydia said, “It’s such a shame. Bella Sera is closed because of this stupid Covid.”
“Why are you worried about Bella Sera? Aren’t you eating well at home?” Roger was miffed.
“Of course, Darling. I enjoy your cooking very much. In fact, it has gotten quite good. But Hal and Jodie’s twenty-fifth anniversary is coming up. We should celebrate – we were one-third of the wedding party. A posh dinner out is almost required.”
“We could have dinner here. Invite Tyler and Rachel – also one-third of the wedding. Dinner for si