Nemesis - Fiona

"I don't know. I should imagine the shit will hit the fan either sometime this evening or tomorrow morning. No, I can't do anything at the moment; we're at a friend of Fiona's, engagement party.

"Right, okay, mate, I'll speak to you tomorrow and let you know how it goes."

I walked back into the function room, hoping that Ralph had overheard everything I had said. If he knew or suspected that Campbell was shagging Fiona, I hoped he would fill in the blanks, put two and two together and come up with five. That's the trouble with nosy gossips - they will make the facts fit the story.

Fiona was sitting with some of her friends chatting, I doubt she had even missed me so I went over to the bar to get another soft drink. I don't drink alcohol when I'm driving.

I watched Ralph and his bit of stuff come back into the hall. The young woman went off to join her friends and they went straight into a little huddle. I assumed that the Dutch whispers had started. Ralph looked around the hall and located Campbell who was dancing with some woman. I watched Ralph circle the dance floor until he got to a point near Campbell from where he, not very subtlety, beckoned to him. But Campbell ignored him.

In the meantime I had managed to locate old man Gordon, the current big cheese at the company. Still watching Ralph I made my way over to him.

"Mr. Gordon."

"Oh, how are you, Nick? How are things going at Vitasound? You know, you would have done well to have taken that job I offered you with us. I'm retiring this year. I think you would have been the ideal candidate for my job."

"I've got a question to ask you, sir. Do you still have that non-fraternisation clause in the company contract?"

Old man Gordon's whole demeanour changed. "Nick, is there a problem I should know about?

"I'd like you to watch Ralph and Bruce Campbell for a moment, sir. I think Ralph is just about to tell Campbell something he is not going to like to hearing."

"Please don't talk in riddles. Nick, if something is going on, I need to know about it."

"At the moment I have no proof sir but I think I'm just about to get some. Would you like to come with me?"

Ralph and Campbell had been talking and I had watched Campbell suddenly draw himself up to his full height and spin around to look at Fiona. All the colour had drained from his face but as he stared at Fiona he began to turn very red. Bad news, alcohol and anger. Not a very good combination. Campbell had begun to walk towards Fiona as I had asked Mr. Gordon to follow me.

We arrived at the table just behind Campbell and he definitely wasn't aware of our presence.

"You fucking little tart!" Campbell shouted at Fiona, "If I've caught the fucking pox off of you, I'll fucking fire you, you little slut."

Fiona had turned bright red and just didn't know what to say.

"Mr. Campbell, do I take it from your statement that you and Mrs Blackie have, have ... er, been fraternising with each other?"

Campbell swung around and saw Mr. Gordon and myself standing there.

"Um, no sir, I was just saying ..." Campbell was trying to think of a cover story.

"From what I just overheard, it sounded to me very much like you were just accusing Mrs. Blackie of infecting you with an STD. There's only one way that can happen Bruce. Do you think I'm bloody stupid or something? I don't need to hear anymore. Not that I needed it, but I've just been reminded that there is non-fraternisation clause in your contract. You and Mrs. Blackie are both married so that invokes that clause. Both of you will be out of job on Monday morning."

"You can't do that!"

"Oh, can't I? Just you watch me. I'm sure quite a few of your colleagues as well as Mr. Blackie here heard your outburst. Take it to a tribunal and they will laugh you out the door."

Mr. Gordon turned to me. "I'm sorry about this, Nick, it must be all very upsetting and embarrassing for you. If I'd suspected anything, I would have taken action sooner."

"I realise that, sir, but I only found out myself today. I think I'm going home now if you don't mind."

As I turned away I saw that Fiona was sitting there with her head buried in her hands, sobbing loudly. The music had stopped and everyone in the place was watching us. I collected my coat and walked out through the hotel lobby.

When I got to my Discovery, I knew I was too hyped-up to drive. Don't you all go thinking that I'm a cold-blooded bastard; the whole day had been an emotional one for me. But I had managed to keep my temper in check. I lent against the car and lit a cigarette, whilst I cooled down a little.

Then I noticed Campbell and his wife came out of the hotel. Well, heard them really, Mrs. C. was giving Campbell a rather large piece of her mind and he was swearing back at her. When Campbell noticed me standing there, he forgot his wife and strode in my direction.

"You, you fucking bastard, you set me up didn't you. I'll fucking kill you, you little wanker."

"Oh, dear," I thought. Campbell, because he was somewhat bigger than me, thought that he had found someone to take his anger out on. His trouble was, Campbell had consumed quite a bit of alcohol that evening where I hadn't consumed any. Well that did give me a little bit of a problem, in that with his senses were somewhat dimmed and he wasn't going to feel the pain as much. So it would take him longer to realise that staying down was his best bet when I put him there. But on the bright side his co-ordination should be crap.

It was. His first punch hit the car door pillar when I side-stepped it. I don't actually think he landed another one anywhere. I caught him with one to the kidneys and a chop to the throat. The fun was over, as Campbell lay on the floor struggling to breathe. His wife walked over and kicked him a couple of times, whilst making disparaging remarks about his parenthood. Then she smiled at me and walked off. I climbed into my Disco and drove home.

Half an hour after I arrived, I heard a taxi pull up outside. A few moments later the doorbell rang; Fiona hadn't taken her keys with her. I toyed with the idea of leaving her outside but thought better of it.

"What the bloody hell did you think you were doing telling everyone I had fucking VD?"

Fiona was using the old 'first to attack will win the argument' technique.

"I didn't tell anyone you had a sexually transmitted disease, Fiona. Can I help it if your colleagues get hold of the wrong end of the stick and make the wrong assumptions? Your boyfriend did sound very upset though. What was he saying about you having given him the clap?

"For you to have done that to him, you had to have been fucking him. How long have you two been playing bunny rabbits, Fiona? And I believe that you've been letting him fuck you bareback, as well, haven't you Fiona? Just what kind of a silly bitch, are you? Did you ever think about what you could catch from him?"

Fiona was just standing there looking at me. Then she lowered her eyes to the floor.

"Well, Fiona, come on. Isn't this about the time you are supposed to tell me it was all my fault. That I mistreated you or I didn't satisfy you in bed or something. You're not answering me, girl. Come tell me why it was my fault that you let that fucking arsehole fuck you?"

"I didn't mean to do it, honestly. It was an accident."

"Some fucking accident. What happened? Did you two just happen to be naked? Then you accidentally walked into one another and Campbell's cock just happened to find its way into your cunt. Don't talk so much fucking crap, Fiona. You went to dinner last night with the Pratt, didn't you?"

"Yes, but you weren't here."

"Oh, fuck here we go, this is where it was my fault. For fuck's sake, girl, you called me to make sure I wasn't going to be home. What kind of a fucking fool do you take me for?"

"No, Nick. I didn't mean it like that. You weren't going to be home and Mary asked me if I wanted to eat with them."

"So you took Campbell along for company."

"Well, you know I don't like playing gooseberry."

"Then after the meal you went to the pub where you had too much to drink and the next thing you remember was waking up in bed with Campbell."

"Yes, that's exactly what happened. It was just like that. I didn't mean to sleep with him. I just had too much to drink. It was an accident, Nick, honestly."

"Bollocks, Fiona. First you've done nothing but moan about Campbell ever since he took over your office. You moaned about him to me because you thought that by doing that, I wouldn't suspect you were attracted to him. Yesterday afternoon he asked you out for a meal. Probably after Jim told him I was out of town. That's why you called me. You didn't want me turning up and catching you. You went to the pub alright but I doubt you stayed that long and you certainly didn't get pie-eyed."

"Don't you think I know how hangovers affect you by now, girl? There was no way you'd have been able to go to work today if you'd been that drunk. No, you planned to go back to Mary and Jim's place and get laid. But tell me how was Jim on the nest? Was he any better than Campbell?"

"What?" Fiona was looking at me wide-eyed now.

"Come on, don't try to tell me you never swapped partners. I saw the look on Mary and Jim's faces when Campbell accused you of giving him VD. They were shitting themselves; they think they've caught it as well, don't they?"

A look of total defeat came over Fiona's face and she slowly sank into a chair.

"You know it all, don't you?"

"I think I know most of it, yes. I don't know how long it's been going on though."

"I'm sorry, Nick. It was just last night honestly. I really don't know what came over me. Is there anyway we can get over this?"

"Oh, I'm already over it. girl. I was this afternoon when I accepted that job I was offered in Southampton. I'll be moving into the cottage tomorrow. If we go for an agreed divorce we should have this all over and done within a couple of months."

"Surely you're not going to divorce me just because I made one silly mistake?"

"Where do you get the one silly mistake, Fiona? You've been lying to me for months when you said you hated Campbell. If you thought you were attracted to him and wanted to stay faithful to me, you could have encouraged me to take the job in Southampton when it first came up. That way you would never have had to see him again. But no, you didn't want to leave your job, you said. But I'm thinking, maybe you didn't want to leave Campbell."

"Now, fucking one guy could be thought of as a mistake. But swapping partners with your friend Mary? Now that's never a mistake. That's called swinging and I don't go in for that. Tell me, I'm just a little curious, has Jim been getting a three-way out of you and Mary in the past, when I've been away?"

"Oh, shit, no. Oh, my god, what have I done to us?"

"Not to us girl, to yourself. You're on your own from here on in. I'm leaving now. I'll be back to pick up my stuff over the weekend. You had better tell Jim that if he sees me coming he had better start running."

"No, please wait, Nick, can't we talk...?" I slammed the door behind me as I walked out of the house.

++++++++++++++++++++

Well, things didn't quite go as smoothly as I would have hoped. Fiona waylaid me when I went back to collect my clothes and personal belongings. We were to have many unnecessary long and protracted discussions around the table at both her and my solicitor's offices during which she repeatedly asked me to change my mind and give her another chance.

During these meetings she was often surprisingly candid about the whole affair and its consequences. Apparently Mr. Gordon called Fiona into his office on the Monday morning and asked her to explain exactly what had occurred. As a result both Jim and Campbell had been dismissed. Although Jim wasn't married, Fiona was and that had been all Mr. Gordon required to act.

Actually Fiona was offered a position with another company within the organisation. I can only suppose they were thinking that as two managers had been involved in the sorry mess, a good lawyer could probably make a case for sexual harassment. Not that I even think that idea crossed Fiona's mind.

At the last meeting we had, both of us signed the papers that would bring our marriage to an end. It would not be necessary for either of use to attend any hearings since the divorce was all down to the paperwork. But, as I said goodbye to Fiona for what I thought would be the last time, she looked at me and said, "Its not good-bye if I can help it, Nick. I'm not giving up the fight that easy. I made a mistake, I know I hurt you very much and I'm sorry. But I pray that one day you will find it in your heart to forgive me. I'll be waiting for that day."

The next six months of my life were really taken up with my new job. I spent many hours getting to know everyone who worked at the site. From the security guards and cleaners to the staff who did the three shifts on the product lines. Of course I didn't remember all their names but they all got to know my face and I could recognise most of them.

I'm not much of a cook so I tended to eat breakfast and lunch in the company cafeteria and take my evening meal in the Foresters, the village pub. It was only a couple of hundred yards from the cottage.

Just as I thought I had settled down to my new life, one of my old neighbours called in to visit me. He and his wife were on holiday on the south coast; they said they thought they would make sure that I was all right. By the time they left I had been informed that Fiona had sold the house but they didn't know where she had moved to.

I really should have been taking notice of what was going on in the village, because when I came home from the office on the following Monday morning there was a removal van outside the little cottage opposite the Foresters.

As I came home from work on the Tuesday evening, the sight of someone standing outside the cottage wearing a black skirt and a purple blouse greeted me. Damn it, Fiona knew I though she looked wonderful in that get up. Every damned evening after that she was standing there and would wave to me as I drove passed. She would still be standing there when I walked down to the pub for my evening meal, although she never embarrassed me by coming in whilst I was there.

Every one in the village had known Fiona and I for years and I was soon to discover Fiona was roping everyone in on her quest. On my arrival in the pub or anywhere else in the village the subject of discussion would soon turn to poor Fiona. Hey not with me, and they never mentioned her by name. No, they would talk her to each other, about how sad and alone she was. But they made damn sure I overheard them.

After months of convincing myself that I wasn't going to let them get at me, I wasn't going to eat my meals elsewhere so I didn't hear them. I was going to show them all I was a man of my convictions. I realised something. It was me who was the poor lonely bugger.

So tonight I'm going to have a meal in the Forester's with Fiona. What is going to happen? I don't really know. I know that I have always loved her. But will I be able to get past what she has done? That's the unanswered question.

Life goes on.