Welcome To A scarecrows Dream

Madison sat alone at the bar, nursing the third of her five drink limit. After that she would just stop counting. Over and over she glanced at her watch, avoiding the obvious pick up attempts of the nicely dressed man at   the end of the bar.
He was over two hours late! What would be his excuse this time? An important meeting that ran late, or an overseas call, or maybe he dropped dead while, humping his most current bimbo. Now you’re just trying to make yourself feel better. She said under her breath, smiling to her self as she pictured him, slumped over the bed in some sleazy motel. With the dim wit of the week he just banged, on the phone calling 911.
    “Excuse me. Did you say something?” asked Berry, wiping down the bar with a damp towel.
She had gotten to know him far too well over the four years she and Doug spent building the great enterprise known as Gordon Inc.
    “No I was just fantasizing, but I will take another,” she replied, tipping her glass until she was sure it was empty before, pushing it toward him.
    “You got it,” he said with a big smile and a quick wink, replacing the empty glass with a full one. “It’s not too busy if you want to talk about it.”
    “Oh thanks Berry, but really I’m fine,” she smiled a little embarrassed that he had noticed her frustration.
    “Yah, I agree your one of the finest looking women that comes in this place,” he smiled playfully, “So what about it? Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”
    “Thank you. Your so sweet, but you don’t want to hear about the mess I’ve made of my life, and marriage for that matter,” she replied lowering her eyes, staring at her already half empty glass. “Berry when did it happen?”
    “When did what happen?” Berry leaned on the bar with one elbow, throwing the bar rag over his shoulder into the sink.
    “When did I become such a loser?”
    “You, a loser Mrs.G? No way! You’re a fine lady!”
    “Ya right,” she laughed, twisting her glass from side to side, using only her fingertips, before lifting it to her lips, taking another drink, “some fine lady I am. Sitting here for over two hours, waiting for a man I’ve been with since high school, who I vowed to share my life and love with. A man, who couldn’t keep his zipper up, if his life depended on it. A man Berry, who after almost twenty-five years could care less if I live or die, but that isn’t the worst of it. Cause you see my friend. I feel the same way about him.”
    “Aw, Mrs.G. You don’t mean that. You had to have loved him at one time. What do you think happened?”
    “I guess maybe at one time we thought we were in love, but we were young, and life was so full back then.
We went right from high school into college, getting married in our sophomore year. Then both of us went to work for his father’s newspaper, until he died and we took it over. It was after his mother passed, that we sold the newspaper in Ashland, and moved here to San Francisco.”
“And now you own the biggest add agency in three states.”
“Yes, but what have we gained, if we’ve lost each other?”
“I see your point. I’m surprised you never had children,” added Berry.
“Children! Oh heavens no. We didn't even have time for each other. A kid would never have fit into our busy lives,” she sneered raising the glass to her lips once again downing the last of her drink, “hit me again.”
“What ever you say, but you really should take it easy. This stuff can kill ya if you’re not careful!” He grabbed the bottle of Gin in one hand, and a clean glass in the other, pushing the glass down into the ice until it was full then filling it to the brim with Gin he set it within her grasp.  
“Can I buy you one?”
“Oh no, but thanks for offering,” he smiled.
“Ya know now that I think about it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you drink anything stronger than a coke. Why is that?”
“Because I make it a rule to never drink at work.”
“I see, and why is that?”
“Because I have to keep a clear head, after all this is my job.”
“Ya, I guess your right. You wouldn’t be a very good bartender if you were too drunk to read the labels on the bottles,” laughed Madison. Berry nodded in agreement. “Well sometime when you don’t have to work. You and I will have to go out for a drink, and I’m buying,” she insisted.
“It’s a date,” Berry agreed knowing it would never happen. “Do you want another one Mrs. G?”
“I think she’s had quite enough,” a stern voice came from across the room, heading toward them, causing Madison to turn on her bar stool knowing her husband had finally arrived.
“Well if it isn’t Mr. Douglas Gordon himself! Berry quick, call the press! The great man himself has decided to grace us with his presence. We are truly honored sire,” she concluded, attempting a bow, almost falling off the bar stool.
 “You’re drunk!”
“And you’re short, fat and bald,” she shouted, “but just think in the morning I’ll be sober, but you’ll still be short, fat, and bald!” she blurted out, through roars of laughter.
“Yes, Darling, but you will still be a bitch. The car is waiting, come on, your going home now!” he said slapping a fifty dollar bill on the bar, grabbing his wife by the arm aiming her toward the door, “thanks Berry. Sorry for your trouble keep the change.”
“Ok Mr. G. You guys take it easy now.”
Once outside the cool salty air from the bay hit her face, and Madison realized just how drunk she was. She found it a little hard to walk, but with Doug’s help, they finally made it to the limo, where he and the driver poured her inside.
Madison didn’t fight them. She knew she was going home. If she could get home and eat something she would be fine.
“Ya know Maddy this is getting rather boring, me picking you up for dinner, and you being too drunk to even go out in public.  I’m telling you I’m not putting up with much more of it,” he said in a stern but controlled voice, as the car pulled out into traffic.
“Take Market street Driver,” she demanded, “I want to see if that deli is still open. I need something to eat.” 
This time it was Doug that didn’t argue. He knew if she ate it would sober her up a little, and she may avoid getting sick. Besides not having dinner himself he was getting rather hungry. He had to admit that a deli sandwich wasn’t his first choice for dinner, but it was better then nothing. They pulled up in front of the small shop where Douglas wasted no time getting out, “You wait here. Do you want any thing to drink?”
“Ya a pot of coffee,” she replied letting her head fall back on the headrest.
“Ok I’ll get you a cup to go and will call ahead and have Cook make you some, for when we get home. I’ll be right back. Johnathan I will only be a moment. Would you call ahead, and let them know we are on our way. Tell Martha, Madam will be going straight to bed and have cook put on coffee,” he concluded walking into the shop.
The young girl behind the counter greeted him with a friendly smile as he came through the door. He smiled back turning his eyes to the menu above her head. He made his choice adding a request for two large coffees.
While the girl filled his order he stood there letting his mind wander back to earlier that afternoon with Shelly. It had been no more then a long walk on the beach finding treasures in the sand, waiting for the sunset. Something he had done millions of times before, but somehow it was different with Shelly. 
He had, had more than his share of short term affairs over the twenty five years, they had been married, most with beautiful young women, young enough to be his daughter. But Shelly was a mature woman, who even in her early forties, looked better than a girl half her age. She took pride in her appearance, and it showed, but it wasn’t her main focus.  
With the others sex was the main attraction, having not shared a bed with Madison since she caught him fooling around with Brenda, her former maid, almost two years before, giving him no choice but to seek relief for his sexual needs else where.
With Shelly the sex was not only great, but just being with her was intoxicating.  She was so full of life, making him feel as if there was life beyond the board room. No matter what they did, it was as if they were experiencing, it for the first time together.
No she wasn’t well educated, or business minded. She didn't belong to the club, or know all the right people. Her family wasn’t affluent, and she didn’t shop at the best stores in San Francisco or LA. This woman struggled to get by on the bare minim she made as a sales girl at Neiman Marcus downtown store. 
She didn't seem to care about how much money he had. She was more impressed with the simple things he had to offer. Such as the long walks alone on the beach, they took that very afternoon. She seemed to enjoy that a lot more than when he had taken her to the theater and dinner at Le’Fleurs, the weekend before. The thing she seemed to enjoyed the most, that evening was the after dinner horse drawn carriage ride through Golden Gate Park   
Unlike Madison, whose biggest concern was her next hair appointment. He thought to himself, letting his eyes drift out the window of the small shop to the limo where she sat waiting.
It wasn’t that he never loved her or had just suddenly stopped loving her. At one time he loved her more then life itself. At that time Madison was just as full of life as Shelly. It was then that for him the sun rose and set in her eyes, and he couldn’t imagine what life would be like without her. It was more like one day she just stopped loving life itself.
He remembered how in love they were in college. How many dreams they had created, building the perfect future, and how they had supported each other as they struggled to bring those dreams to reality. But with each dream they saw fulfilled, they seemed to drift a little farther apart, until finally they could scarcely tolerate one another.    
That was how it was, and had been for the past two years, with no indication of change, coming anytime soon. No, at the ripe old age of fifty, they had both slipped into their own comfortable hell, they woke to each morning and lived through each day. At this point most couples would be seeking the advise of divorce lawyers, but with all the joint assets’ they had, even a civil divorce could take years, and would tie up some important working capital for years to come. Not to mention the fact that his lawyer’s fees alone would be able to put the guys kids through college. No it was as his uncle use to say regarding his wife, it’s cheaper to just keep her. He smiled to himself. Besides being married to Madison was no more than a minor annoyance, that didn’t cramp his style in any way. He did what he wanted, with whom he wanted to do it with, when he wanted to do it, and being with Shelly was what he wanted for just as long as she was willing.
“Your orders ready sir,” the girl’s voice broke into his thoughts, bouncing him back to reality, “that will be twenty even.”
Madison’s coffee was rather hot, but she managed to drink it slowly, nibbling at her sandwich as they made the half hour trip across the Golden Gate to their East Marin Estate over looking the San Francisco Bay. The view of the Bay brige as well as the Golden Gate brige along with the bay itself had been the main selling point for Madison when they bought the estate. The land around their home totaled five acres of beautiful lush green lawns, surrounded by colorful flowers and tall sweeping trees.
The house was a four story showplace in itself. Complete with nine bedrooms each, having its own bath and a view of the bay. A lavish banquet hall, complete library, a state of the art home office, it had it’s own year around sap with lap pool, hot tub, gym, and recreational area. It to complete with handball and basketball courts. The roof of the spa area, opening with no more then the push of a button.  
    When they reached the security gate the driver reached up to his visor, pushing the button opening the gate, and alerting the staff that they were home.
    “This is all such a waste!” Madison whispered to herself as the car raced toward the house.
    “What are you babbling about now?” asked Doug as the car pulled up to the front door. Finding their maid and butler waiting for them, “Martha Mrs. Gordon needs to go right to bed.
    “I do not babble. I said this was all wasted!” she replied sharply as the maid opened her door helping her out of the car and up the few steps to the house.
    “What’s wasted besides you of course?”
    “All of this,” she shouted flinging her arms in all directions.
    “All of what!? Maddy what on earth are you talking about?”
    “This place we call a home, this sham we call a marriage. Our lives Doug, its all been a waste!” she cried near tears.
    “Boy your drunker then I thought, Martha would you please take Mrs. Gordon up stairs? I’ll go see that cook brings her some coffee,” he concluded before disappearing into the house calling to the cook as he walked, finding her in the doorway of the kitchen he told her his bidding. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Martha struggling with Madison to get her up the stairs to her bedroom. He glanced at his watch it was only a little after seven-thirty not too late to call Shelly and see if she would enjoy going out for coffee, and maybe a bite to eat.
    He would wait until Martha had gotten Maddy all the way up the stairs and in her room before having his car brought around. When he saw her bedroom door shut he went to his office and picked up the staff phone, pressing the button that would connect him with his butler. 
    “Yes sir,” said a voice on the other end of the phone.
    “Jeffery would you please tell Johnathan to bring the limo around, I will be going out again.”
    “Yes Sir, right away.”
    Jeffery met him at the front door walking him out, opening the limo door. “Should I wait up sir?”
    “No Jeffery that won’t be necessary,” he replied closing the car door. “Drive on Johnathan.”
    He grabbed the car phone quickly dialing Shelly’s number,  his heart pounding with anticipation of hearing her voice again.