ODDS OF LOVE: Season Nine

Episode 109

Gerald HighTower felt tired.

Maybe he had checked out of the hospital too soon. Maybe he should not go back to work so soon. Maybe. Maybe he should have just died when Penelope wanted him to.

He stood back from the full length mirror in his bedroom , watching his face and body as he deftly buttoned his crisply ironed white dress shirt over his starched white undershirt. His bedroom. Maybe that should have been the first sign of trouble really. Knowing that his new bride at the time wanted her own room should probably have told him everything about their marriage.

His mother Bernice had warned him not to marry the woman. She told him that he had nothing in common with Penelope, that Penelope was just after the family money , that the Perkins family was too odd to be associated with anyway. Maybe he should have listened to his mother but the marriage had benefited him as much as her in a way. Their marriage gave him the freedom to live his life without having to choose whom exactly he was. With Penelope for ten years he escaped people and their questions about him.

Was he?

Could he be?

Do you think he was ?

He knew what everyone had said especially since he was so supportive of LGBT causes and interests. He heard what they whispered behind his back before his marriage. After his marriage though they just whispered how boring he was. How boring, how simple, how naive. The after marriage whispers were more preferable to him really.

He sighed. He looked so old. Older than fifty. And so fat. When had he put on so much weight? He knew that people gained faster with age. Look at Richard Norland. He too had a few extra pounds on him over the years but it looked good on him whereas on Gerald it just looked ridiculous. His stomach. His backside. His jowls. No wonder Penelope turned on him eventually. Maybe it was time for him to go on a diet and start doing some exercises. Start walking more after work and after dinner. Maybe even buy a dog so he looked more normal while walking around the neighborhood at night. He wanted to laugh. A dog was the best he could ever ask for in his future, he knew.

He picked up his suit jacket and shrugged himself into it. Smoothing down his old school tie , he wondered idly exactly what people would be whispering behind his back now. That he was just a stupid old fool whose young wife tried to kill him?

His phone rang and he glanced at it. Norland. He smiled bitterly. The man had shocked a lot of people including Gerald when he had came out of the closet as what he called bisexual. Gerald had not just been shocked but..... envious. Not that he wanted the former secretary Nigel Hawthorne - Cyrus. The young man was nice enough and fairly intelligent and had been good looking before the accident but no he was not really his type of attraction. He preferred more Italian looking men. Darker , more swarthy in appearance. Speaking of Italians, he thought as he answered the phone, he was expecting that new teacher Alfred Giadello to come in today or tomorrow to fill out paperwork and talk about appropriate accommodations for his disability. The video interview he had done with the man had actually been very enjoyable with them conversing for about a hour.

" Yes , Richard, old boy, what can I do for you?'

Richard said crisply," I think that is my question for you. I heard about Penelope. What people believe she did to you. I can't believe it, Gerald. How are you? "

Gerald sighed again. " I am doing as well as I can. I'm currently preparing for work. I'm glad you called. I had Penelope removed from the house. Locks changed and all that. The servants know if she shows up to call the police immediately. I'm also going to suspend her at the school. I don't want someone like her with murderous tendencies to be working around my students. You and the other board members shall be receiving an email requesting that she be terminated as a teacher. "

Richard replied," Sounds reasonable to me. And yes I quite agree. I know innocent until proven guilty and all but I am a father as well. I have children at that school and I don't want them in any possible danger. Send that email and I will get the board rolling on it promptly. Is there proper security at the school in case she decides to show up there ?"

" Security is adequate, yes. Speaking of children, I hear you and Nigel took in two foster children. A boy and a girl. The boy shall be one of my students I heard. Surprised me hearing it. Never thought you the type to take in fosters. "

Richard laughed. " I never was. It's an adventure, Gerald, already. But Nigel wanted it and what my husband wants he will always get from me. "

The man's voice sounded so ..... so...... damn happy. Contented. Blissful. For just a second Gerald almost hated Richard Norland. He wondered what it would be like to have his life. To be free and honest and spending his life with whom he truly wanted. To have his own children. To be happy.

But , he thought as he smiled sadly, he was too old to really change. And who out there wanted the likes of him ?