Paper Year
Dan walked up to the gazebo. Scanning the crowd of happy partygoers as he walked up the stairs. He never felt so alone. A year ago today was the happiest day of his life. He married Fran Winters. Today he told her goodbye. There was no one to comfort him. All his friends were out of state and none had come to the party. He looked around some more and found the beverage table. BYOB was on the invitations and there was more than enough for those gathered at the party. He walked over and helped himself to a bottle of white wine. He put on his jacket and went over to the other side of the gazebo. He sat down, setting the bottle down between his legs. He took out his phone and called an Uber. Within about fifteen minutes, he slipped away into the night.
Franny, on the other hand, stood leaning against the car. Her two best friends took turns giving her hugs and told her that they would handle the clean up when the party ended. She thanked them both then climbed into her car and drove off. She pulled into the driveway and her mom and dad were waiting for her. Dad helped her with her bags and mom lead her into the kitchen. There were dinner and a cup of coffee. But Fran wasn't hungry. She excused herself and went upstairs to her room. Her mom came up a few minutes later. "You going to be ok?" Joanne asked her daughter. Fran was sitting on the edge of the bed. She was staring at the floor. "I'm just tired." She looked up. Her eyes were red with tears. Joanne walked over and hugged her. "Why don't you get some sleep? Tomorrow is a new start." Fran nodded as her mom got up and left the room. She looked over at her phone sitting on the nightstand.
When Dan flipped on the light to the apartment, the room felt cold. Frans mug was still on the counter waiting for her to return. Dan walked over to the table and set down his suit jacket. He had taken the phone and laid it on the table. The mug, which had been filled with water, he rinsed out. He opened the wine and poured some into the mug. He downed the drink in one gulp then filled the mug again. He took hold of the bottle and with the mug in hand, went into the living room. He set down the bottle and his drink on the coffee table near his laptop. He went to open the lid but changed his mind. Porn would not help him through this. He got up and went to the bedroom. He wouldn't be sleeping here tonight. He took a pillow from the bed and went back to the couch. Before laying down he picked up his phone from the kitchen and set it on the other side of his laptop. He took another drink from the mug, laid back on the pillow, then closed his eyes.
Fran sat on her bed staring at the phone. Her wallpaper was that of her two best friends at her wedding party. She smiled. She could always count on them to make her feel better. She could feel herself falling asleep. She made a quick call. Across town, Dan Delaney was falling asleep. Today was the worst day of his life. The woman he loved was leaving him and he wasn't happy. He had almost been asleep when the phone buzzed. He didn't even notice who was calling. "Hello?" He said. "Dan?" a young female voice answered. He was a bit confused. "Franny? Is that you?" There was a pause. "Yeah," She replied. "I wanted to see how you were." Dan smiled. "I'm ok. I guess." There was a long silence. "How are you Franny, you going to be alright?" Again a long silence. "Don't know." She said. Dan could tell she was crying. And it was tearing him up inside. "When can I come to get the rest of my stuff?" She asked. Dan shrugged. "Whenever you want. I'll be here." "Okay. Goodnight." She said before hanging up. Dan took another drink. He was looking down at his phone. He set it back on the table. he took the pillow and wrapped his arms around it like holding a lover and cried himself to sleep.
Fran woke up the next morning to the smell of coffee and pancakes. Her mother, Joanne, was a great cook and these were her favorite. Downstairs, her dad, Nathan, was reading the morning paper and sipping his coffee. She sat down at the table as her mom set down a plate of hotcakes. "How did you sleep?" Joanne asked her. "Fine." She replied as she took a bite. Joanne sat down as Nathan got up. "I thought we could go shopping today. Just us girls." Joanne said beaming a smile. "Sounds like you have your day planned. Have fun ladies." Nathan said as he picked up his briefcase and walked out the front door. "That sounds great mom but I got to go to work. Can I take a raincheck?" She informed her mom. Though she was a little upset, Joanne was glad her daughter was working. "Raincheck then. By the way, where do you work?" Joanne asked curiously. "I write for a game show called Goosed. It's like Duck, Duck, Goose but better." Joanne nodded. "I'm glad you found a job that makes you happy." Fran smiled.
Dan, across town, was just waking up. He didn't feel like doing anything. The conversation with Fran still fresh on his mind. The thought of Franny coming to take the rest of her things left a sting. He walked back to the bedroom, tossed the pillow onto the bed, and headed to the bathroom. He stripped and went to take a shower. Memories of him and Franny showering together filled his mind as he stood under the water. They used to shower together often. She uses to shampoo his hair and but the suds left behind at the end of his nose. He enjoyed rubbing her back. The part that hurts the most was when they would get so turned on. They usually made love while there. He smiled. That was his favorite part of the shower being with Franny. He finished showering, turned off the water, and stepped out. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he grabbed his clothes on the floor and tossed them in the hamper in the closet. His phone started buzzing.
"Hello?" He answered. "Dan? Dan Delaney?" A woman asked. "This is Dan." He replied. "Dan? It's Hailey. Hailey Turner?" He recognized the voice. "Hailey? Hey." He spoke slowly. She could tell there was something wrong. "I thought maybe you could watch my dogs. Our babies miss you." He smirked a smile. "Sounds great. When?" He inquired. "Well I have to go out of town next week so I was wondering Monday?" He shook his head. "Ok." There was a long pause. "Dan?" Hailey said. "Dan is everything alright?" Dan's voice changed. "My wife told me she didn't want to married to me anymore." He could hear Hailey gasp. "Wait for a second, this isn't some joke like before when we first met and you said you were afraid of dogs?" He exhaled. "I wish it was a bad joke. A very bad joke." Hailey couldn't believe what he was saying. she stood for a second. "Hey, I got a premiere tonight for The Last Buquresting Place sequel. Wanna be my date? I hate going to these things alone." Dan chuckled. "That's very sweet but I don't think I can. I don't even own a tuxedo." Hailey responded. "It's okay. I'll take care of everything. I'll send a car around 6 pm. You can change here and we will go together." Dan thought for a second. "Come on. You can use it to take your mind off your troubles. Please?" Hailey said. Finally, Dan answered her. "Alright. I'll see you later then." Hailey couldn't hide her joy. "Thanks, Dan. I owe you. See you later."
The drive to Goosed was a boring one. Fran wasn't thinking about the intros that waited for her. All she could think about was the look in Dan's eyes at their "wedding party'. Though he didn't say the words. His look was pleading with her to change her mind. That memory of his eyes stuck with her. The music in the elevator to her floor didn't seem to help her mood. There at her desk was a stack of papers. She flipped through them one at a time. Same stuff different day. She looked around the room. Everyone was steadily working. No one seemed to notice her. As she started to write, Noah walked by her desk. Something about her demeanor caught his attention.
"Winters? How is it going?" Fran didn't seem to hear him. He walked over and knelt down beside her seat. "Hello? Earth to Fran?" Again she didn't acknowledge him. "Did I do something?" He waved his hand in front of her face. "Winters, you hoo." She pushed her self back in her chair. "Oh my God." She reacted scared. "You surprised me." She said. Noah stood up. "I've been trying to get your attention. You are here but your brain isn't, something the matter?" She looked up at him. "I'm fine." She said with a sigh. Noah knew she was not fine. Her comments usually followed by a smile but this time there wasn't. "Are you sure? If you need to talk we can use Gavin's office." She went back to writing then she looked over at the empty room.
"Sure." She said getting up from her desk. Noah was a few steps in front of her. He opened the door. She stepped in. He closed the door behind him as he motioned to Fran to take a seat. "Ok. What's going on? You don't seem yourself?" Fran looked down then up when replying. "I told my husband that I don't want to be married to him anymore." Noah couldn't hide his surprise and his shock. "Fran? Why did you do that? Dan seems like a great guy. I know things happened at the dinner party but he really tried to be a good host." Fran just shrugged. "I know." Noah continued. "And for what it is worth, he was right about that diary. We had no business reading it. I was a guest. He was working and we disrespected him. I am truly sorry for that."
Fran wiped tears away. "He doesn't know what we did. I couldn't bring myself to tell him." Noah nodded. "You shouldn't. We were two drunk people that did something that we shouldn't but have no regrets doing. We made the mistake. And you shouldn't punish Dan because of it." He handed her a tissue. "Are you going to be ok?" Fran shrugged again. Noah looked out into the office. "Go ahead and take the rest of the day off. I'll explain it to Gavin. As a matter of fact, don't come back until Monday. Alright? You have a good thing going with Dan just like I do with Sally. Don't let that slip away." He stood up and patted her on the back then walked out the door. Fran grabbed her purse, slung it over her shoulder, and left for the day.
Time was dragging for Dan. He went to get his mail. There was a large manila envelope from his agent. Inside were some script pages along with a letter. He hadn't worked in two years as an actor. He had almost lost interest in continuing with that profession. The letter changed all that. He couldn't believe his eyes. His last audition was a success and he was being offered another with the director of the movie. He grabbed his phone. He couldn't wait to share his news with Franny. He went to dial them realized they weren't together anymore. His good mood shifted again. He set the papers on the table. Then he noticed the time. His phone began buzzing. He didn't recognize the phone number. "Hello?" He answered. "Dan Delaney?" A man asked. "Yes." He replied. "I am here to take you to Ms. Turner." Dan checked to make sure he had his keys and wallet. "I'll be down in a minute." He hung up and headed out.
Fran started to head back to the apartment she once shared with Dan then turned and headed back to her parent's place. She wasn't ready to face him again. When she walked into the house her mother was surprised to see her. "What are you doing here? I thought you had to work?" Joanne asked her daughter. Fran went to the kitchen to get something to drink. "I did and I had trouble concentrating. I told my boss what was going on and he gave me some time off." She took a sip of coffee. "So...how about we go shopping?" Joannes face lit up. "Ok. I'll grab my purse."
The two girls hit the mall like Hurricane Katrina. They shared plenty of laughs. Fran came home with several bags but her mother made her look almost amateurish in comparison. By the time they got back, Nathan had returned from the firm. "I see you girls bought out the store. Did you leave some for the other women?" He said jokingly. Joanne walked over to him and gave him a kiss. "Nate, we are opening our own store! You get to run the register." Fran sat laughing. She got up and walked over to the television. She started flipping the channels when she noticed an entertainment channel covering a premiere. "Come to take a look. It's whats-her-name. That actress that Dan and I housesat for last year." She pointed to the screen. Joanne stepped closer to the television screen. Her eyes grew wide when she noticed the man on Hailey's arm. "Um, Fran. you better take a closer look." She said stepping away so Fran could see. "Dan? Is that Dan?" She couldn't believe her eyes. "What is with him and that woman?" Fran asked of no one in particular. "She's pretty," Nathan said as he sat down in his favorite chair, beer in hand. Joanne shot him a look. "What? She is!" Fran just sat and stared, silent. Joanne came over to hug her but Fran just stood up and went upstairs. Joanne could not hide her anger.
Dan stood next to Hailey on the red carpet. He looked at all the photographers, smiled, and then went back to being eye-candy. Hailey, on the other hand, smiled, waved, and posed for the cameras. Press were shouting questions about her date but she ignored them. Dan shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Hailey could tell he was growing uncomfortable. They moved on into the theatre. Dan hadn't acted in almost three years. The limelight might shine on him again soon but it didn't mean he liked the paparazzi.
After a few hours of movie and after parties, it was time to call it a night. The limo pulled up to Hailey's place. He walked her to the door. They were both a bit tipsy. Hailey unlocked the door and he followed her in. They both had trouble with the stairs, effects from too much alcohol. Hailey turned to him. "So did you have fun?" She asked beaming a smile. " I did." He answered smiling back. She got closer to him and whispered into his ear. "I hear there is an after, after party that's invitation only." She stepped away but only a little. Dan was blushing. She looked him in the eyes and kissed him softly. "What do you say?" She kissed him more passionately this time. Dan was on autopilot. He put a hand to her face and returned her kiss. He picked her up and carried her to her bedroom. That night they made love.
The next more Dan woke up with a hangover. He looked over at Hailey who was still sleeping. He looked around the room at the scattered clothes. He was in his boxers and she was nude. He put a hand to his eye. His head felt like someone was hitting him in the face with a sledgehammer. Hailey had woked up and placed her chin on his shoulder. "Good morning, lover." She said giving a kiss to the back of his neck. He looked over at her. "Morning. Thanks for a lovely evening. I gotta go." He got up, scooped up the clothes and headed downstairs. Hailey sat up. Before she could say anything he was out of the bedroom. The outfit he wore there was sitting neatly folded on the couch. He dressed quickly. His phone, almost dead, had enough charge that he called an Uber. Hailey watched from the top of the stairs as he left.
Fran had spent the night in her room crying after seeing Dan on the screen. She couldn't believe they were there together. She wondered if he was having the same thoughts she did about Noah Baringer. She grabbed her phone to call him. After several rings, she hung up, leaving no message. She sent him a text with no reply. Her mother was calling her downstairs for breakfast. She dressed and headed down still trying to get Dan to answer his phone. "How did you sleep?" Her mother asked. "How do you think? Seeing Dan on the screen didn't make for pleasant dreams." Joanne shook her head. "I thought he was a decent man. But you two aren't even divorced yet and he is with another woman." Nathan looked up from his newspaper. "She's an adult film actress." Again Joanne shot him a look. Nathan went back to reading his paper. "So when are you filing those papers?" Joanne asked Fran.
Fran was too busy eating to acknowledge her mother. She finished quickly. "I need to go talk to Dan." She said as she stood up from the table. Joanne watched her leave. She was still fuming. Nate never commented again on the situation. He was safely reading his paper. Fran grabbed her keys and headed out the door. Still trying to call Dan. In the meantime. Across town, Dan was arriving at their apartment. He paid the driver. He quickly stepped inside. His phone buzzing from Franny's calls. He opened the door. Tossed his phone onto the counter. He paced back and forth. He knew that Fran was on her way. He could just tell by the number of calls she left. He wasn't ready to talk to her about Hailey, them, or even the call he got in the Uber.
A little over an hour passed, Fran had yet to show up. He sighed hoping that she had changed her mind. He went into the bedroom to change clothes when he heard a knock at the door. "Dan?" Are you home?" Fanny was calling to him from the hallway. Dan closed the bedroom door, stripped to his boxers, and climbed into bed, pretending to be asleep. He knew that Fran still had a key and she was opening the door. He heard turn the lock and come into the apartment. "Dan? You here?" She called again. She stepped in and saw his cell phone on the counter. The bedroom door was cracked open just a bit. She put her coat and purse on the couch. She walked over to the bedroom door and slowly pushed it open.
Dan didn't move. He hoped that she would leave. He heard her come over to the opposite side of the bed. She sat down. "Dan? Can I tell you something? I saw you at that movie premiere last night. You with Hailey." Dan stayed motionless. "My mom was so upset. Dad didn't help. She kept asking if I filed divorce papers." Dan stayed quiet. "I didn't know what I felt seeing you with her. I guess you moved on." Dan's eye opened but he didn't face her. "I'm not angry. I'm sorry." Dan looked over without turning to her. She started to cry. "I...I" She had trouble speaking. "Remember the night of our dinner party with Noah and Sally?" She looked over at Dan but he still was staring at the wall. "I called him. And we ended up having sex in his car out in the middle of the street." Hearing her say those words broke Dan's heart.
"I know," Dan said. "Noah told me." His voice cracking. "He called me on my way back from Haileys." Fran stood. "Noah? Called you?" Dan rolled over. His eyes outlined in red. A tear on his cheek. "He called and told me that he didn't want you to lose the happiness you had because of what you guys did. He apologized for reading Hailey's diary and for sleeping with you." Dan rolled back over. "You were human. Drunk but human. I told him that I forgave him and It wasn't his fault." Fran was angry but not a Dan. "I can't believe that Noah told you." Dan was forcing back tears. "What did I do? What didn't I do? That made you do that" Dan whispered. "I thought you loved me?" Again his words are barely audible
Now Fran was holding back tears. "I never meant to hurt you." She told him as she sat back down on the bed. "I forgive you," Dan said rolling over a second time. "Alcohol only makes you act human. That's all we are..." He looked away from her. "Human." She turned to face him. His eyes were still red. "Fran? Now it's my turn to confess something." He sat up. "Last night I went to a party with Hailey." Fran shrugged. "There was lots of alcohol and I drank. I don't remember much after that except waking up this morning next to Hailey in her bed." The words stung in Fran's ears. "I think I was human with Hailey last night. I came here and now your here." Dan got out of bed, put on his pants, and walked out of the room. Fran followed him.
Dan went to the kitchen and got a beer out of the fridge. He offered one to Fran. Dan looked around the living room. His phone was on the table. Apparently, Fran wasn't the only one leaving messages. Sitting on the counter, he took a drink. "Being human." He said taking another drink. He stared at his phone, debating in his mind if he should call Hailey. Fran walked around the apartment taking occasional sips of her beer. "I really liked this place." Dan watched her. "Doesn't feel the same without you," Dan replied, Fran, turned to look at him. She walked over and stared up at him. "Do you still not want to be married anymore?" He asked her. "I don't know. How can we after everything that's happened between us?" Dan's heart sank. "Forgive each other and move on? We both were human." Dan said. Fran took another drink. "You still love me even though I hurt you?" Her eyes were filling with tears.
"Who said I stopped?" He said sliding off the counter, standing in front of her. Fran moved back a bit but she didn't stop staring into his eyes. Dan slowly reached down and took the bottle from her hand, setting it on the counter. Their eyes were locked on each other. He picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist. He gently kissed her. Fran pulled herself to him. She missed his kiss. She kissed him. "I haven't filed those papers, want to try again? We won't know until we try." Her legs still around him, Dan headed for the bedroom.
Months passed and Joanne, Nate, Pearl, and Jim all waited at Fran's Parents home for the news. Meanwhile, at the hospital, things were moving quickly. Franny was giving birth. Dan was right by her side as her coach. "One more push." Said the doctor. "Come on, that's it. Good." The cry of the new baby filled the room. "Congratulations Mr. Daleany, it's a boy!" The doctor told them. The nurse cleaned up the baby and handed him to Franny. The baby immediately took to the breast. Dan reached down and kissed the little one on the head. "He's beautiful." He told her. "Just like his father, he's very handsome," Franny replied back. "So what are we going to name him?" She looked up at him. "Richard Mordicah Delany," Dan said. "We can raise him on a shtetl if you want?" Franny looked down at her now sleeping son and smiled. "We should have done this a long time ago." Dan just smiled at her. The baby yawned and they both started to giggle. Today was the happiest day of Dan and Frannys lives and they couldn't be happier.