Ch 25

After dealing with the police, Paul decided to stay at the bar to drown his problems while John took everyone else back to the hotel. Lisa and Adam were both eerily quiet the whole ride as the others didn't know what to say. Adam immediately went to the hotel bar when they arrived. Glen decided to go with him to make sure he stayed out of trouble. John reluctantly went with them after Lisa reassured him over and over again that she was going to be fine. She was rummaging through her purse to find her credit card to get a room when Mark touched her hand.

"You don't need a room. You can stay with me tonight," Mark smiled at her.

"Mark, I'm too much trouble for you," she softly said looking at the floor.

"No, you're not," Mark tilted her chin. "We have a lot of talking to do."

"Mark, I'm sorry it has to wait," Lisa bites her lip. "I need to check that filing cabinet before Paul gets back to his apartment. I need to end this messed up relationship before he destroys me."

"You're not going alone. We can talk on the way," Mark stared at her.

"Fine, we have to hurry," Lisa felt relief that he was coming with her. They stood in silence as the valet brought the truck around. Mark could tell she was in deep in thought. He wished she would talk to him about what was going on in her mind.

"Mark, I'm sorry I'm being so quiet," she broke the silence as he pulled onto the street.

"Its ok," Mark smiled at her.

"It's not ok. I'm sorry for the way I acted tonight. My past with Adam still hurts sometimes. I could never understand why he just left me with any warning. Our relationship was going very good and the next minute he was telling me it was over. I kind of came to the conclusion I would never understand it and just moved on with life but there are times it bugs me," Lisa went through her purse for Paul's keys.

"Do you want to be back with Adam?" Mark asked needing to know the answer.

"No, I don't. Friendship works a lot better for us," she rested her hand on Mark's knee.

"Are you sure?" Mark glanced at her. Lisa picked up on Mark's fear that she would resume her relationship with Adam once she was free from Paul.

"Mark, I'm positive," she smiled as they pulled into a spot up the street from Paul's apartment. She waited till he turned off the truck before gently cupping his chin in her hand making him meet her eyes. "I want to be with you."

"You don't want a man your own age?" Mark asked.

"I want you. I don't care about the age difference between us," Lisa caressed his chin. "Do you care about it?"

"Baby girl, it doesn't bother me at all," Mark pulled her close kissing her softly. "Come on let's go search that cabinet." Mark got out opening the door for Lisa. They walked towards Paul's apartment making sure his truck wasn't there. Lisa quietly unlocked the door letting them in. She was relieved to see Paul had left the kitchen and hallway light on giving them some light to work with. Lisa opened the door to Paul's walk in closet showing Mark the file cabinet. They both filled with frustration finding every drawer locked.

"We should have known it wasn't going to be that easy," Mark smiled at her.

"Let's try using this," Lisa went into the other room grabbing a paper clip. Mark unbent it sticking it into the lock till they heard the click. "Have you done this before?"

"I've picked a few locks before when I locked myself out of suitcases and things like that," Mark laughed as Lisa opened the drawers flipping through them finding nothing of importance. She was about to give up when she saw a manila envelope in the back of cabinet. She took it out feeling a videotape inside.

"Bingo," she said showing the envelope to Mark. She was about to open it when they heard the front door.

"Shit," Mark whispered shutting the cabinet drawers as Lisa looked around for a way out without Paul seeing them. She heard Paul's footsteps echoing up the stairs. She quickly pulled the closet door shut pushing Mark into the corner.

"I guess we have to play hide and seek," Lisa whispered to him pressing close against him pulling the clothes on the rods to hide them. Mark felt the heat of her body as she leaned back against him.

"Being this close will led to another game soon," Mark whispered in her ear wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Behave big boy," she leaned back kissing him softly as the bedroom light came on. Mark and Lisa both froze listening to Paul stumbling around. They heard him dialing the phone.

"Hey its me, did you get the ticket I sent you?" Paul stuttered. "Good I'll meet you at the airport and we can go to the hotel from there. You're doing the right thing coming to see me." Paul paused for a few minutes. "I have to call Lisa. I will see you tomorrow and make sure to bring that little red outfit I like so much. Bye." Mark felt Lisa tense in his arms.

"Answer you bitch," Paul's drunk slurred voice echoed through the room. "Screw you too sweetheart!" he slammed down the phone making Lisa jump in Mark's arms. Lisa took a deep breathe when Paul pulled the closet door open. They watched as he dropped to his knees in front of the cabinet. He fumbled with the key finally getting it in the key hole. He tossed out all the drawers as Lisa tried not to tremble with every thud sound. Mark tightened his hold on her when Paul flipped the cabinet over laughing.

"I know her so well," Paul kept laughing. "Wait till she opens that envelope I wish I could see her face." Paul got to his feet still reeling in laughter as he turned off the light slamming the door.

"He knows we have it the envelope and he isn't worried. Something is wrong," Lisa whispered to Mark.

"Let's get out of here and find out," Mark listened to the sound of the shower.

"Let's try right now," Lisa went to the door slowly opening it seeing Paul going into the bathroom slamming the door. "Hurry now." Lisa motioned to Mark as she opened the door leading him to the downstairs and out the front door. They hurried to the truck once inside Lisa looked at Mark.

"I can't believe we did that," Lisa could still feel her heart racing.

"I hope it was worth it," Mark looked at the envelope in her hands. "Let's get back to the hotel and take a look at that."

"Sounds good," Lisa was anxious to see what was in it and why Paul didn't seem upset about it being gone. "Mark, did the phone call Paul made sound weird to you?"

"Baby girl, you don't want to know what I think," Mark glanced at her as he maneuvered out of the parking spot.

"Yes I do, please tell me," Lisa stared at him.

"I think he is cheating on you and that is why he isn't taking you to rehab with him," Mark said exactly what he was thinking.

"I think you're right," Lisa started to think about all the times Paul had told her not to come visit him in the last two years. "I think he has been cheating on me for awhile."

"We will find everything out somehow. First, let's take care of the envelope," Mark saw the pain in her eyes. He reached out pulling her close against him. "Remember whatever happens we are in this together."

"You are all I need to get through all of this," Lisa rested her head on his shoulder. They rode in silence back to the hotel wondering what the envelope held in store for them.


Mark and Lisa wasted no time opening the envelope once they got back to the hotel. They spilled out the contents finding a bunch of photos in a plastic bag and a video tape. Mark put on the video tape while Lisa opened the bag taking out the photos. Her heart stopped when she went through the photos of Adam having sex with a woman she had never seen before. She put the photos down not able to look at them. She looked up noticing Mark was taking the tape out.

"What's wrong?" Lisa asked him noticing how tense he was.

"I don't want you to see this," Mark held the tape away from her.

"Why?" Lisa didn't understand what could be so bad after the photos she just saw.

"Just drop it. This doesn't help us with the Vince situation," Mark threw the tape in the trash noticing the photos on the table. He picked them up as Lisa grabbed the tape out of the trash. "Lisa, please don't put that on," Mark threw the photos down staring at her.

"Mark, don't try to protect me I have to see what's on it," Lisa pushed the play button.

"You're so stubborn," Mark sighed as the screen flickered for a minute then the video of Adam having sex with the same woman from the photos flashed on the screen. Lisa was about to turn it off when she saw the date on the video. Her heart was beating rapidly as she went to the photos scattering them around looking at the dates on them.

"That bastard!" she yelled grabbing a few of the photos running out of the door.

"Lisa stop!" Mark ran after her as she went down the stairs. Lisa wasn't listening as she went through the lobby to the bar looking around till she spotted Adam, Glen, and John sitting at a table.

"You damn coward! How could you not tell me about this!" she threw the photos at Adam. "It's all so clear now you left because you were cheating on me. You didn't have the balls to tell me the truth that you were screwing someone else. No you had to make me think it was my fault you left. All these years I blamed myself for our breakup. How many times did you sleep around behind my back? Better yet how in the hell could you sleep with that whore the night after we lost the baby? "

"Baby?" John spoke up looking at his sister. Lisa ignored him glaring at Adam.

"You have to calm down. I never blamed you for losing the baby. Shit I have told you that a hundred million times. It was no one's fault it was God's way," Adam shot up going towards her grabbing her arms. "I only cheated on you once. I don't even remember it I was drunk."

"That's it blame it on the alcohol," Lisa stared at him. "I hope you rot in hell. You told me you had no choice at the hospital because Vince insisted you come back to work immediately. All the bullshit you fed me about loving me before you left was all lies. Now I understand why you came back from the road and broke up with me with the baby gone you were free to be with your whore."

"No you don't understand any of this," Adam stared into her eyes. "I did love you. You should have realized that when you found out about the baby and I didn't run. I was willing to marry you and do the whole family thing. I left that hospital feeling the same way loving you even more."

"Stop it I don't want to hear this," Lisa broke free from him. "These last two years all the times I wanted to talk to you about what happened to resolve this part of my life you refused. Well I don't want to talk about it anymore. Stay the hell away from me Adam." Lisa turned storming out of the restaurant leaving everyone speechless. Mark stared at Adam before going after her.

"Paul, you're days are numbered!" Adam knocked the table over next to him scaring everyone in the restaurant before going after Mark and Lisa. John and Glen stared at one another in disbelief not sure what to do or say.