The Sauna Part 182

“Richie, listen up, man. I apologize for dragging you off with a lie, but we gotta talk. Something happened last night and I wanna go somewhere where we can talk privately, okay?” Jon confessed as soon as they were in the car.

“Shit, Jon, is everything okay with you and Trish? You got me worried now” he replied, looking alarmed.

“Trish and I are great, bro, no worries there. It’s about Elaine” Jon said apologetically.

“Elaine?” Richie asked, his eyes widening.

They pulled in to the diner where Jon and I had stopped for breakfast so many months ago. Jon got out of the car and Richie followed him inside and the waitress smiled and waived them over to the booth Jon always took. They sat down and Richie looked anxiously at him as Jon took a deep breath.

“Jesus, man, tell me what’s going on” Richie implored him.

“Richie, believe me when I tell you that this is the last conversation I would ever have wanted to have with you and I am so sorry. I don’t want to hurt you, you mean more to me than my real brothers, you know that, right? I don’t wanna lose you and I really don’t wanna say what I’m gonna say, but I respect you too much not to tell you” he began as he looked directly at Richie.

“You’re my brother, Jon, no matter what. Nothing is ever gonna change that, so get on with it” he said, bracing himself.

Richie knew that something had changed in the relationship between us and his wife. He had some ideas what it was all about and he assumed Jon was about to tell him. They must’ve gotten into a fight or Trish and Elaine had an argument and he wondered why Lainie hadn’t mentioned anything serious this morning. Whatever had happened, we could work it out, he was certain of that. He and Jon were too close to let a woman thing come between them he thought confidently.

“Richie, shit, man, there’s just no easy way to say this” Jon floundered, searching for words.

“Then just say it” Richie demanded.

“Elaine came on to me last night” he said finally, staring at his hands.

“She what? Jon, we were shit-faced drunk last night. Maybe you dreamed it” Richie said as he struggled with what he was hearing.

“I wish it was all just a nightmare, but I was wide awake and before you say it, I know I didn’t misinterpret her intentions either” Jon added pre-emptively.

“Tell me what happened” Richie insisted, hoping to find something to contradict Jon’s perception.

Jon recounted the entire incident and repeated the conversation, word for word. Richie sat there silently but he didn’t hear what was said beyond the first few exchanges. His brain had shut down and his mind went blank as he repeated the words over and over to himself.

“Richie’s sound asleep, Jon, and so is Trish, but I’m wide awake and so are you” he heard Jon’s voice echoing in his head.

“Richie, man, are you there? Are you listening?” Jon spoke frantically.

“I’m here, Jon. Go on” Richie spoke in a voice devoid of emotion.

Jon repeated how Elaine had confessed her attraction to him, knowing he was driving a stake through Richie’s heart, but there was no turning back. He finished describing the rest of the conversation, including Elaine’s accusation that she believed that they shared each other’s women. Jon even told him his own part and how he’d responded, and he apologized for the past as well as the present. Richie had closed his eyes and was shaking his head.

No, no, no, no, no, noooooooooooooooo, it couldn’t be true. Not Elaine, not my wife. Jesus, no, this is insane. Jon’s so used to being the center of the world; it’s his own arrogance talking.

“Jesus fucking Christ Jon! You can have any woman you want! But not Elaine, not my wife! Damn you Jon! Did you fuck her?” Richie wailed.

Jon knew it was going to be bad, but he hadn’t known how badly Richie would take this. He wished he could take it all back, even take the blame for it, but he couldn’t. He knew Richie was in a blind rage and he wasn’t making any sense and all he wanted was to get him to calm down and listen.

“Richie, I didn’t fuck her. I can’t even stand the sight of her. You gotta believe me bro, I didn’t encourage her. Not now, not ever. Trish is the only woman I want” Jon pleaded with him to understand.

“Trish? Did you tell this crap to Trish too?” Richie asked hotly.

“I told Trish as soon as it happened, Richie, of course. Elaine betrayed her too” he explained.

“And of course Trish believed you” Richie sneered.

“Richie, can’t you see how Elaine is acting? She barely kissed you goodbye last night and now she’s been all over you today. Get a grip, man!” Jon raised his voice in frustration.

“You get a grip, mother fucker” Richie exploded as he stood up and punched Jon in the face.

The whole restaurant had gone silent now as Jon stood up and wiped the blood from his nose. Richie had caught him off guard and popped him squarely in the face and he wondered absently if his nose was broken. His heart raced and he was angry, but his rage was at Elaine and not Richie, but his immediate concern was to get the situation under control.

“Richie, please, you’ve gotta believe me” he tried again.

“The hell I do!” Richie fumed as he stalked out the door, leaving Jon to clean up the mess.

Richie paced outside and he beat his fists against the hood of Jon’s car. He looked like a wounded bear as he howled with rage and fury, not nearly ready to feel the grief welling up inside him. This couldn’t be happening to him.

Meanwhile inside, Jon threw a large bill on the table and wadded up a napkin to staunch the bleeding as he raced out to find Richie. He stood there and watched as Richie launched another assault on his car. He pulled out his cell phone and called Tico.

“Hello?” Tico said warily as he recognized the number.

“Teek, it’s bad. It’s real bad. You gotta get over here. Richie’s gonna hurt himself” Jon said desperately as he told him where they were and hung up.


***********************


“Trish, I gotta go. Richie’s having a meltdown and Jon needs help. Keep the faith, doll, I’ll call when I can” he said to me as he dashed for the door.

I started to shake as I gripped the wall to stay upright. Goddess, no! This is so unfair! Please, I prayed to the Gods to help Jon and Richie get through this. I wanted to call Jon and make sure he was alright, but I knew better. If he called Tico to come, it was bad and he had his hands full. I wasn’t going to add to the problem. I sat down at the kitchen table and cried.