Chapter 23
Colt
My lawyer called and asked me about the divorce. I had given him a heads up about it, but apparently it hadn't come through yet. He was waiting for the filing and he was going to let me know when it was done. I don't know why, but it felt like the closure that I needed. When I knew that it was happening and done, I could finally stop worrying about my wife.
“I don't know what to tell you Colt, but it has been almost a month and I've heard nothing.”
“So, what do you think that means?”
“I don't know what it could mean. You know her better than I do.”
I told him that there was a good chance that I didn't. I thought I knew her well, but that didn't seem to be the case. If it was, there was no way that it would have turned out the way it did.
“Well Colt, I will let you know something when I hear about it. If you signed the paperwork, which I cannot say that I am so happy about, then we will just have to wait for her to file it. Unless you want to go ahead and file divorce papers of your own. then we can make whatever terms you want, and we can get it started. It's up to you.”
It would have been easier, taking it off my mind. I could just file the paperwork myself, get the divorce and be done with it. It would be preferred to the feeling I had right now, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I knew that she was going to file the paperwork though. Why would she go all the way to Vegas to get my signature if she wasn't? But then there was a question of why she was taking her time with it. Candy had made it like they were going to get married, that I had in fact ruined her first attempt, so why was she taking so long now? I had given her what she wanted. All of these unanswered questions was doing my head in.
I hung up with the lawyer after asking him a few more questions and I let my mind run a little bit. I liked to think that she had not filed them yet because she was unsure, maybe she wanted to stay married. But then again, I knew better. I had gotten my hopes up one too many times over this woman and I wasn't going to let it happen again.
Not able to let my mind run too much, I had to shut down all of the thoughts that I had about Candy. It was hard to work, but I forgot things if I didn't. My lawyer had once again voiced concerns about the divorce papers I hadn’t looked at, but I didn't want to think about that either.
Instead, I went to my office and started in on my work. I’d been burying myself in it lately, not even getting off early enough to pick someone up. My love life had taken a nose dive and I knew that it was because of one person. It was because of Candy. She’d ruined so many things for me, even my favorite restaurant. Everything was bland and dull now. She’d livened everything up, but left darkness in her wake.
***
Leaving the office around midnight, Ernest asked me if I wanted to go to a bar or club, pick someone up.
“No, I think I’m good on all of that. Just take me home Ernest.”
“Can I ask you a question Sir?”
He was getting formal and had concern in his tone. I didn’t like where this was going at all.
“Sure, what’s up?”
I said it casually, hoping that it would stay that way.
“I’m worried about you Sir.”
I sighed and told him that there was no need for that.
“There is nothing to worry about, nothing at all. I’m just taking a break and focusing on work. Got a lot of big clients at the moment.”
It was a very easy to understand sort of comment, but there was still part of me that knew that it was all crap. The truth wasn’t something that could be said out loud. I was in love with a woman that was divorcing me, and she’d ruined all other women for me as a going away present.
Dating was now all a waste of time, maybe it had always been a waste of time.
“I don't know Colt, something is different about you. Is it that little redhead that you had running around here a month ago that was your wife?”
I shot him a look through the rearview mirror and I told him that I didn’t want to talk about it. Of course, it was about Candy, but there was no sense in talking about it.
“She isn't my wife anymore.”
The message must have gotten through by the changing of my voice because he dropped it. That was the best thing that he could do too, because it was last thing that I wanted to talk about.
I sat back in the back seat and watched the city fly by window. It felt strange to me that of all the things that could stop me in my tracks, it was a damn woman that did it. I had been fighting to get to the top for so long, not letting anything get in my way, but that didn't seem to matter now. All that seemed to matter was that I was at the top now.
Being alone wasn't something that I had to do, I could have easily found a woman to stand beside me. But I didn't want any of them. I wanted one woman and no matter how hard I tried to fight it., I just couldn't change that. I was already starting to think of ways to get her back. I wasn't sure how I was going to do it yet, but I knew that I was going to have to.
By the time I got home, I had already called a couple of people, to get some information for me. I had a few investigators that I kept on retainer for when I needed them. I never trusted the police and their investigation, and I didn't even trust my own client’s word, so sometimes I had to find out things myself.
With Candy, I had to figure out what was going on with her and why she wasn’t doing what she was so sure she wanted to do when she left. Candy hadn't filed divorce papers, and she hadn't gotten married. It made me think that maybe she was feeling the same way that I was. Was she questioning everything too?
Vincent call me back first and gave me the rundown of what he had found out. He had an address, phone number, where she worked, but none of that was what I wanted. I wanted to know where she was living, so that I would know who with.
“Was she still with Jax?”
“That part I don't know Colt. I know that she is not staying in the same address that she used to be, but I don't know if they are together or not. If you give me a couple of days, I will go down there and take a look. There wasn't much that I could get with my contact list so far away.”
“Yeah, go ahead and do that. Just want to know if she's gone for me for good.”
Vincent asked me who she was, and I told him if he was a good enough investigator, he would already know.
He chuckled and said that he knew that she was my wife, but he just wanted to know what I would say about it.”
“I never did tag you as the marrying type Colt, it just doesn't seem to be part of your make up.”
“Well, that's probably true. It is also probably why she is divorcing me I suppose.”
“I am sorry to hear that.”
“Yeah me too.”
He asked me a couple more questions about what all I wanted to know, and then we both said our goodbyes. I had mixed feelings about the information. I was worried that she was going to forget about me, even though I knew it was impossible for me to forget about her. If she wasn't with Jax, then the question for me now was, why had she not come back or at least called?
I was unclear of the answer to that, but I was determined, now more than ever that something was going to come from this. I just wasn’t sure what yet.