American Woman

Chapter 59

The entire car ride to the airport and plane trip home, all I was doing was defending myself to Lenny. For some reason, he got it in his head that Prince and I were having an affair. It didn't matter how many times I denied it, he just kept asking and accusing me. A part of me just wanted to say "yep we did!" Just so he would shut the hell up and if I was lucky maybe he would leave me. I know that sounds harsh but I just didn't give a shit about anything, or anyone, at the moment. I didn't even care to see Zoe. I just wanted to lock myself up and hide. I didn't want to see anyone, I didn't want to talk to anyone, I just wanted to disappear. But I wasn't going to admit to something I hadn't done. We may have not always acted appropriately, and there were unspoken feelings involved, but we never even touched. Plus if Lenny tried to divorce me on those grounds I would be really screwed. I wasn't going to take the fall for something I didn't do.
We hadn't been home for more than 20 minutes when the phone rang. Thinking it may be Zoe, I pick it up.
"Hello?"
"Jensen please don't hang up."
"I'm sorry. You have the wrong number." I say and slam the phone down.
"Who was it?" Lenny asked.
"Wrong number." Then it rang again. Shit! This isn't going to look good for me convincing Lenny there was nothing going on. I quickly pick it up again. "Hello?"
"Baby please. Just hear me out."
"I'm sorry sir. You have the wrong number. Please don't dial it again." I say and place it back on the receiver. Within 30 seconds it rings again. "Hello?" I answer furiously.
"What have I told you about apologizing? Jensen don't hang up. You don't have to talk. Just listen to me." Lenny grabs the phone out of my hand. "Yo man! I don't know who you are trying to reach but I guess she gave you the wrong number. Don't call back here!"
"I'm going to go lay down." I say to Lenny. "I've had a migraine since I woke up and everything that's happened has only compounded it. Don't wake me up for dinner. I plan to sleep until tomorrow. Goodnight." I say walking towards our bedroom.
"Not even a goodnight kiss?!" He yells out after me. I turn back around and give him a quick peck on the lips. I ended up crashing hard. When I woke up the next morning, I could smell an all too familiar smell. Pot. You've got to be kidding me? He didn't even last a single fucking day?!
I get out of bed and find him sitting right on the couch smoking a joint and drinking whiskey. This man has some big balls! He's not even trying to hide it! "What the fuck are you doing?" I exclaim.
"What does it look like?"
"Lenny we need to find a rehab place here. You left too soon."
"I'm not going back to any damn rehab. I didn't leave too soon. I would have been just fine. But after finding out your wife was spreading her legs for another man while you were off trying to get help, kinda just makes you say 'fuck it.' So really this is your fault darling."
"How dare you try to blame me for your weakness?! It's not my damn fault you have no self control. I don't think you even think we had an affair. You just wanted a reason to get high. I didn't cheat on you! I don't care if you believe me or not. Fuck you! Get high. I don't care. I'm going back to the bank this week to see if they have a job available. I'm going to work there and go to school this fall. I don't want to be here anymore than I have to be. So go on tour or whatever I don't give a fuck!"
"Sounds like a great plan to me. I'll book a fall tour. My fans have been missing me anyway while you and dipshit had me locked away. And if that was him calling here yesterday you better tell him to stop calling or I'm changing our number."
"I don't want to talk to him either. You can tell him that."
"What are you so mad at him for?! He doesn't want you no more? What did you expect Jensen? He uses women and drops them as soon as he's bored of them. You barely kept him intrigued for 2 months. Ouch!"
"When did you become such as asshole? What happened to the man I married? What happened to Zoe's dad? If you find him at the bottom of that bottle or at the end of that joint tell him to come back please. We miss him. The son of a bitch that replaced him is an insufferable human. And for the last time, I didn't have an affair with Prince."
Well obviously he didn't find that person. We went on for weeks without talking. I got my job back at the bank. I started working there full time until classes started and then I moved to part time. Lenny went out on tour before I even went back to school. Since I was so busy and Lenny wasn't even home, Lisa had Zoe full time. She would bring her over some evenings, but I didn't see a whole lot of her. I felt bad, but I just couldn't be the stepmom she needed anymore. I despised her father and just didn't have the time I needed to devote to her. She was older now, I figured she understood.
My phone would still ring most days and Prince would be on the other end, but I never let him get more than a sentence out. I just wanted to live my life here. I don't know what I was thinking before. I couldn't be with him anyway. My life and my school is here. I have no place in Minnesota. By the second semester, the phone calls had stopped. I thought he finally had gotten the point and was going to leave me alone. And he did...for about 2 weeks and then the letters started coming. I didn't open them though. Not a single one. I had become content with my life again. I may not be super happy and I was lonely a lot, but I was content. I just wanted to make some money at the bank and try to save enough to get a divorce and afford to live on my own and finish my degree. I didn't want whatever was in the letters to complicate my plans. From mid January until April the letters came at a pace of 2 a week. All went straight into the trash. I didn't want Lenny to discover them when he did occasionally come home. The second week in April, I didn't receive any letter. And not the week after either. So I thought he had truly finally given up. And even though a part of me was a little sad, I was also relieved. Maybe not getting calls and letters would help me to finally move on without constant reminders. Lenny came home for an extended stay in May. School was over for the semester, so I went back to full time at the bank. I had saved up quite a bit of money over the last 9 months. I thought by the fall I should have enough to tell Lenny I was filing divorce and find my own place to live. Until then I just didn't even mention it. It wasn't worth it. One day when he had been home for about a month, the phone rang. "Hello?" I answered.
"Hey Jensen." His deep voice boomed through the phone. "Don't hang up. Is Lenny there?"
"Yes. Why?"
"Can I speak with him please?"
"Why? Please just leave us alone."
"This is business related. May I speak to him about it?"
I made my way over to Lenny with the phone. He mouthed 'who is it?' I rolled my eyes and whispered "it's him. Here." And shoved the phone at him.
"What the fuck do you want man? Leave my wife and me alone!" I couldn't hear what Prince was saying on the other end, but Lenny wasn't hanging up. After a couple minutes, Lenny was saying things like "oh yeah?," "really?," "that sounds cool." After about 5 minutes he ends the conversation with "alright bro I'll see you then to discuss it more. Later."
"What did he want?" I say nonchalantly, even though my curiosity was sky high.
"He wants me to play a New Years Eve show with him."
"New Years Eve? It's June! Why is he calling about that?"
"Well it's kinda a big one. It's going to be the end of 1999. A new millennium is beginning. He's Mr. 1999. They are planning something huge here in LA. Something like that takes months to prepare for."
"Well you aren't considering it are you?"
"Of course I am. Why would I be?"
"Ummm I don't know. Bc you hate him. You think I had an affair with him. Do I need go on?"
"Jensen this is business. You have to put your personal conflicts aside sometimes in this business. This is going to pay very well. It's going to be televised. Think of how much exposure it will give me."
"Ok. Whatever."
"And we are going to Paisley next month to discuss it?"
"Who is we?"
"Me and you."
"I'm not going back there. And I didn't think you would either. You said last time we left we were never going back."
"Well we aren't going as friends. We are going to book a deal."
"Then why do I have to go?"
"Bc you have so desperately tried to convince me nothing went down between you two, I want to see it for myself."
"See what?!"
"How you two are with each other. How you'll react and respond to each other."
"Lenny that's ridiculous. Why can't you just believe me?"
"I'm never going to believe nothing happened unless I witness the two of you together. And it's more him I don't trust. I think he suckered you in to doing stuff with him and you just don't want to admit it."
"I'm glad to know you think I'm so weak. But fine whatever. If that's what you need. When do we leave?"
"July 8."
"For how long?"
"I don't know. A day or two."
"Fine I'll ask off from the bank for a few days." I really didn't want to go, but if I'm going to proceed with the divorce this fall I don't need Lenny accusing me of an affair. Maybe this will finally convince him.
I would be lying if I said I wasn't pretty much a nervous wreck for the next few weeks. I was nervous to see Prince. I was nervous about what Lenny would see. I don't even know what he will be looking for. I've just got to keep my distance from Prince and maybe that will satisfy him. I just want to get this over with already.