Breach

“Get out! Get out and don’t you dare come back tonight!” Jean screams at a volume that could wake people in China. Before I have the opportunity to object the door is slammed in my face. If I were any closer I bet my nose would have been broken at the force she used.

How pleasant, kicked out of my own apartment. Why is it women always think they have the right to kick the man out for the evening? Especially when said man is the reason said woman has not only that apartment but everything else.

There’s no use arguing. The bitch is damn stubborn and it’s not like my evening would have been different spent at home. The only difference is I will find myself drinking at the bar rather than the apartment.

Turning on my heel I head in the direction of Frankie’s. It doesn’t take long to get there considering it’s about a block away. As usual the place isn’t incredibly crowded. It’s only 10, however there is a rowdy bunch of what appears to be teenagers and college students playing at the pool tables.

I shake my head at them with a grin. I remember when I was their age. Back then Jean and I were happy, or at least I believe we were. Who knows, women are complicated creatures. She could have been as unhappy then as she is now.

For some reason, I doubt that though.

“You again?” Malcolm huffs. He has my drink ready for me before I even reach the bar. “Jean really does hate you, doesn’t she?”

Malcolm and I went to the same high school together and attended a few classes together in college. We’ve known each other for years. I’m not sure if I want to call him a friend. I guess, in a way, he is. I talk to him more than I do anyone else.

“Hate wouldn’t cover it,” I reply around an unpleased grunt. Malcolm has seen me around far too much lately. Jean and I have had…many tussles.

As I swirl the alcoholic beverage in my cup I can’t help but think about what I know is coming.

A divorce.

It’s right around the corner. I can feel it in my bones. To be honest I have no idea what happened to cause our relationship to fall apart. Jean and I are, or rather were, high school sweet hearts. We married at 19 but now, 9 years later we aren’t nearly as happy as we used to be.

When did it go wrong? Was it the promotion? I admit, my job is time consuming. It eats into our personal lives. We don’t spend as much time together as we used to and that caused us to start drifting apart. Jean tries her hardest to pull us back together, to get us to be as we used to in high school but…

It isn’t working. She blames me, saying that I work too much and care too much about my job. I put work over her, that’s what she says. I don’t understand how she has any right to complain when the money I bring home is what buys her all the luxurious items she has.

“Another,” I order, slamming down the glass as I do. Malcolm laughs and does as he’s told.

“Man she must have done it this time,” Malcolm says after noticing how quickly I chug down my drink.

Sighing, I rest my head on the bar. “She says it’s my fault our relationship is crumbling.”

“If you’re in it it’s bound to crumble.”

Malcolm gets a sharp glare for that one. “Funny, tell it again.”

Malcolm shrugs, excuses himself for a moment to attend to some of those crazy college kids then returns. Over my shoulder I see the boys angrily pounding the sticks against the ground. Wouldn’t it be nice to be so care free again?

“Damn, it’s midnight already,” Malcolm says. I look back at him or at least where he should be but he’s gone. I hear him behind me, shouting for some boy. “Bishop, it’s midnight and it’s getting rowdy. Get the hell out of here.”

A head of blonde pops out of the crowd of insane college boys. I barely see him through my blurred vision but from what I can see it appears that Malcolm is ushering the boy out the front door. He’s back in a flash and reluctantly giving me more beer.

I don’t remember much more after that, only that I once again drank myself into oblivion