Right Here, Right Now

Right Here, Right Now

The Prius had just passed the last freeway exit before the Columbia River bridge when traffic suddenly stopped, from fifty-five to zero in a matter of seconds. The road was a little slick from the recent snow, but the Prius kept from sliding due to the four all-season traction tires' grip.

"Damn, what now?" Scott said it through clenched lips. He took a quick look to his left and right, searching for some way to get around this mess. "Take a look on that map app on your phone; see if there's any information about what's going on."

Traci pulled her phone up and started to search. "Says there's a traffic accident on the bridge. It's too early to know how long we'll be stuck here."

As Traci finished her sentence, a police car running lights and siren drove by on the shoulder. Scott sat back in his seat and tried to settle his breathing. "Just relax." he said it to himself, but lately it'd been harder to relax, his wife's recent behavior had him on edge. Something was disturbing the calm which had always been the nucleus of his fifteen year marriage to Traci. Ever since her bicycle accident and the trauma of a badly broken arm, she'd been on edge. Was it some kind of PTSD?

Funny he should consider that, given they were right now stuck on the freeway and the hospital where Traci's arm was surgically repaired was lit up like a beacon of comfort against the early winter night sky.

Scott wasn't the only one to notice their proximity to the hospital, Traci stared at the building and thought it must be a sign. The decision which caused so much anxiety, so many sleepless nights over the past two months, would finally be made. "Right now," Traci made the decision and spoke the words from which there'd be no turning back. She was burning the metaphorical bridge.

"Scott," the word broke the silence with a sharpness of a knife blade and caused Scott to turn to her in surprise. "I've decided to divorce you."

Scott's eyes widened, his mouth opened, but no words came out; at least not for what seemed like a full minute but was actually only five seconds. "What? Divorce? Why?" Not exactly eloquent, but to the point.

"I'm just not happy. I need a new start. We got married when I was twenty-one and I had Geoff within a year. It was too early, I never found out who I was before it all piled up on top of me. I've been a mother and wife, never myself." The words tumbled out of her brain, words she'd been rehearsing over the past week, now those words were streaming out of her mouth, assaulting Scott's ears. Her words had been meant to make her discontent about herself and not about Scott and their life together. How life with Scott had become boring. His boring job, his boring hobbies, his boring lovemaking, his boring, goddamn Prius.

The car in back of them flashed its brights. Scott looked up to see the car in front of his had moved up a couple hundred feet; still not going anywhere but crawling. Scott put the Prius in gear and moved forward.

"This makes no damn sense. When we celebrated our anniversary in September, you told me you were happier than you'd ever been in your life. What changed in four months?"

Traci's rehearsal had prepared her for this question because it was true, four months ago she was madly in love with her life.

"I've changed. I've come to realize I want more out of life. In a few years I'll be turning forty, I don't want to have regrets."

Scott tried to think what had happened in four months. He couldn't think of what would turn the woman sitting beside him from a loving wife into the person he didn't recognize. He tried to remember if she'd been reading any ultra-feminist books, watching any anti-male programs, anything to explain the sudden disappearance of his Traci.

"This all started when you broke your arm. Do you think this is some reaction to the accident? Do you think maybe seeing a therapist would help?"

"Stop trying to psycho-analyze me Scott!" Traci said it with more anger than she intended; trying, but failing, to keep the discussion from turning into a shouting match.

Scott raised his voice in return. "I'm only trying to understand why you want a divorce all out of the blue. Nothing makes any sense -- unless....." The pause was like a stick of dynamite was thrown into the car. The pause terrified Traci. "Who is it?" Scott's voice dripped with venom; everything now making so much sense.

Ever since the beautiful twenty year old Traci accepted his request for a date, since they became exclusive, during their sixteen years as a couple, including the fifteen years of their marriage, during all those years with a woman other men coveted, sometimes blatantly, this was a possibility. But until this moment, Scott learned to trust in their love and Traci's fidelity. Until this moment.

"Who is he?" The fact Traci hadn't immediately denied it only reinforced his suspicion Traci's request for a divorce had nothing to do with her 'need to find myself' bullshit.

The lights behind him flashed again, the traffic having crawled another two-hundred feet toward the bridge. Before Traci answered the question, an ambulance with lights and siren entered the highway from the entrance ramp and drove past them on the shoulder. Scott stopped a foot from the car in front of theirs and turned to face Traci, waiting for her answer.

"David Meyers." The name hung in the air until it registered with Scott.

"Your orthopedic surgeon? The guy who repaired your arm? That David Meyers? The guy I paid twelve thousand dollars to-to-to put your arm back together?" Spit was flying out of Scott's mouth as he grilled her, even stuttering, for answers.

Never in their years together had Traci ever seen Scott lose it like he was losing it right now. Both of them were startled when a sharp rap on the driver's side window caused them to jump. The guy from the car in back of them was knocking on the window. "Are you two alright?"

Scott took a couple of breaths and lowered the window. "Sorry, my wife just asked for a divorce so she can be with her doctor and I kind of lost it. No violence, just yelling."

The guy seemed to look sympathetic. "Okay, that sucks. Try to keep it steady, though. The radio said it's a fatality accident, so it's going to be a while. Stay cool." He looked at Traci, making certain she wasn't hurt or asking for help. She nodded and he returned to his car.

"Crap! The guy's probably taking down my license plate in case you go missing."

"That's not funny, Scott!"

"Nothing about this is funny, Traci!" Scott tried his best to keep his voice steady so as not to further alarm the guy behind them. He moved the Prius up fifty feet keeping with traffic. "Fifteen years of marriage, a son and now a single parent." Shaking his head, he decided to ask the question he feared the answer to. "Have you slept with him already?"

Traci didn't answer him, which was, of course, the answer. Traci sat against the door now, getting as much space between her and Scott as was possible in this teeny, tiny 'practical' car. Traci's mind wandered. Yes, she slept with Doctor David Meyers. She had to, to make certain they were sexually compatible before she left her 'practical' husband for the thirty-four year old surgeon with the beautiful condo on the river and the very impractical fire-engine red Corvette. She was delighted when the doctor's lovemaking was as thrilling, if not more thrilling than when he drove her in his Corvette, ninety-five miles per hour down that country road. The gorgeous doctor loved to drive fast, fuck fast and make love slow. Nothing about the good doctor was boring.

Traci remembered how it started. As the doctor held her broken arm, he looked into her blue eyes and spoke in a tone that had her melting like a teenage schoolgirl. She even felt wet watching his mouth, wondering how those lips would taste if she could convince him to kiss her. The first time they were in bed, those lips gave her three orgasms as he teased her nipples and kissed her clit.

Yes, the good doctor was very professional as he set the break in her arm while a nurse stood nearby. All professionalism was lost a week later when they ran into each other at the coffee shop near the hospital. That was the day he did kiss her lips and gave her his address, telling Traci he'd be home the next afternoon at one. "I hope to see you there. No games, wear something I'll enjoy removing. I'm especially looking forward to seeing what's underneath."

Traci rang his door at 1:01 pm the next day, dressed to thrill, and by 1:17 was naked. David had the body and stamina of an athlete. The sex that afternoon took Traci over the edge and made her do things she'd never done with Scott.

After the first time they fucked, Traci went down on David, cleaning the mutual secretions from his hardening cock. His cock wasn't that much longer than Scott's and maybe a little wider, but it was uncut and Traci took delight in watching the bulbous head peek out of the foreskin. Once it was at full length, David turned Traci onto her knees and took her from behind. Scott and Traci did it in this position many times, but never with such force and never with Scott's thumb in her ass like David did that afternoon.

Yes, a divorce would break both Scott and Geoff's hearts but after the three months of sneaking around, it was her decision now. And Traci also understood now that Scott knew she had slept -- hell, call it what it was - fucked David Meyers, Scott would never take her back. This was a one way street, but Traci knew it was the right choice.

Scott's voice broke through Traci's daydream. "Do you have a lawyer?"

"No, I hadn't made up my mind until just now."

"Well, the divorce is happening now that you've fucked the asshole."

Traci had nothing to say in response.

"Are you moving in with him?"

Traci paused. "We talked about it."

Scott shook his head. "It's a no fault state. We'll end up splitting everything down the middle. As much as I'd love to burn you in court, drag yours and the asshole's name through the mud and make everyone understand what you've done, I can't do that to our son. As much as I'd like it, it would only mess Geoff up. But Tracy," he warned, "no BS. You'll tell Geoff you're in love with another man and that's why you're leaving us. This is on you."

Traci agreed by simply nodding.

Scott went on. "I'm assuming I'll get custody since a young doctor isn't going to want a teenager hanging around. Did you think of that?"

"Probably not as much as I should. You saying the words makes it real and I don't know how I feel about that." Her response sad.

Scott's voice became angry again, but he refrained from shouting. "You should have thought about it. I can't believe you're being so selfish. I hate you right now!" Traci pressed harder against her door and stared out the window.

They were close enough to the bridge to see the flashing lights of the emergency vehicles on the bridge. The three lanes of traffic were merging into one. Scott read the sign on the bridge, "Bridges Freeze Before Roads" and he wondered why people just didn't get it. Thousands of people inconvenienced for over an hour because somebody couldn't ease off the gas pedal. He needed to get out of this vehicle and away from Traci before he lost it again.

"I'll call our lawyer tomorrow and get his recommendation for a family law attorney. Someone to get this done quickly and with as little screaming, shouting and expense as possible. That way you can 'get on with your life' and with your doctor." As much as Scott tried to tone down the bitterness, it was there in his words and tone.

They finally drove past the cause of the backup. A smashed up vehicle surrounded by two squad cars and an ambulance. Scott didn't pay much attention to the carnage because he didn't want to be a looky-loo and end up in the back of the vehicle in front of him, driven by someone who was obviously not paying attention to the road. Through that car's rear window Scott could see the driver craning his neck to catch sight of the spectacle.

Watching the road ahead, Scott didn't see that the wrecked car was a red Corvette with the vanity license plate, 'DRBONES'. He didn't see the gurney with a sheet covering the body on it. He heard Traci's soft gasp without realizing his soon to be ex-wife had fainted. Not until a few minutes later when she didn't respond to another angry question.