For the love of money

Dave doesn’t really know Tom all that well. He's a nice guy, keeps to himself mostly. Had a cook out when he first moved in about three years ago, been having an annual cook out around the same time ever since. In Dave's eyes Tom was an okay guy, that’s the reason he came up with the idea of them carpooling to DC. Traffic was brutal in Virginia, the morning rush could cause Dave to spend two extra hours in traffic. It was starting to effect his mood, and his performance at work. The HOV lane was always so empty.

That and the fact that Dave had more morals than to buy a blow up doll to stick in the back seat, how would he even begin explain that to his wife? It had been more than three months since Dave started carpooling with Tom, and Tom didn’t show any behavior that would make Dave think anything abnormal was going on. Then Tom started showing up in the morning with marks on his neck, and sometimes his face. At first Dave brushed it off, for one it was none of his business, and Tom never said anything, even though he had to know they were noticeable. And second, well Tom did have a dog, so it easily could have been rough play, or rough play with the wife for all Dave knew. And that was something he didn’t want to get into. What a man and a woman did behind closed doors in the privacy and sanctity of their bedroom was their business as far as Dave was concerned. He wouldn’t like it if people started asking him about him and his wife’s sexual life, not that they had one.

But, there was something about the marks on Tom's face. It wasn’t every day that he had scratches on his face, Dave chuckled to himself one day as they drove down the highway towards Washington DC. He couldn’t hide his amusement as he observed fresh marks on Toms face. He could only imagine what his back looked like.

“Whats so funny Dave?” Tom asked with a smile of his own. Clearly anticipating the joke he thought was on Dave's mind.

“Ah, well..” Dave started, unsure if to really tell Tom what had made him laugh. “I know its none of my business, and you are right to tell me so, we can drop it, but I just been noticing the marks on your face, looks like you got a fresh pair this morning. Reminds me of me and my wife when we was younger.” Dave gently nudged Tom with his elbow to reinforce his playful nature and slight admiration of Tom's love life with his wife. “Those were the days..” Dave trailed off shaking his head with a smile.

“Oh.” Tom said suddenly and looked blankly out his passenger side window.

Dave noticing this spoke again. “No need to be embarrassed, like I said, none of my business really.” Dave said chuckling, still trying to feel out Tom's reaction. Silence crept into the car and Dave cursed himself for being nosy. The two men traveled for another ten minutes until Dave started to hear the unmistakable sound of sobbing.

“Uh..Tom.” Dave didn’t know what to do. One minute they are talking about sex, albeit private stuff but nothing to..

“She's hitting me!” Tom blurted out. The weight of his revelation seeming to force more anger than anything from his voice. “She is hitting me, scratching me! When she gets drunk, and she gets angry, she just has to have her way. That’s the way she was raised, daddy's little princess!” Tom slammed his fist against the car door.

Dave was frozen into his seat. He started straight out in front of him unsure of what to do, besides focus on his driving. Jenny abusing Tom? He couldn’t believe it. She was always miss social, laughing and smiling, the center of attention. But behind close doors, people can turn ugly. And the marks on Toms face were obviously done by some long nails.

“Well..” Dave was at a lost for words.

“And of course if I hit her back she will get “daddy” involved and there goes the house and my job. What a fuckin idiot I am. Working in the firm where her father is partner. I deserve it, I fuckin deserve it. Bitch doesn’t work, doesn’t cook, just sits around the house all day waiting for me to come home and fuck her, wont even let me do that half the time!”

Dave let Tom vent his frustration, though in the back of his mind he couldnt help but to think of the movie scare face, when Tony Montana married the beautiful trophy wife just to find out she was a glorified bum.

“But I got something for her! I'll fix her ass real good?” Tom said with deep vitriol

“Divorce her?” Dave saying, and at the same time suggesting the only logical thing that came to his mind.

“And lose everything? Are you crazy? That crazy bitch can take a chunk out of me for breakfast everyday for all I care! I'm waiting for that old man to kick the bucket! Then the firm will be mine and I can ship her off to some island where she can fuck natives all day. Once I get my hands on the money, fuck her!” Tom growled until his frown slowly turned into a ironic smile. “Fuck her.” her repeated laughing. “Fuck her, I'll get the last laugh.” Tom smirked. “Crazy Bitch.”

Dave shook his head and looked outside the window, without thinking or looking he dug into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He pushed the button 2 on his phone and pushed dial. The phone rang and his wife picked up the phone, already at work.

“Dave?”
“Honey?”
“Yes..” came her slow reply. It had been years since he last called her that.
“I love you, lets go out for dinner tonight.”