To Sleep... Perchance to Die Read online

  When my love swears that she is made of truth I do believe her, though I know she lies …

  New York City/Windham, Connecticut: Jake was practicing in Connecticut and Bret had become chief resident in the training program. His relationship with Mai was getting better. She spent nights at his apartment, and he stayed a few times at her place in lower Manhattan. When he asked her, Mai refused to move into his apartment claiming she wasn’t ready to take that step. Bret was in love and thinking of marriage.

  When they had sex, he was able to, as the expression went, light her fire. Typical of men his age, he believed several women would sign affidavits attesting to his superior talent in that regard.

  Mai’s law firm had begun work on a hush-hush project for an important client. The venture was slated to take several months to complete and required working most weekends. Although Bret accepted her new schedule, he didn’t like it. Weekends were lonely.

  One Thursday afternoon in November, Mai came to his apartment from her office. She was bubbling with joy. “I’m free for the next few days. Let’s visit Jake. We can have a pre-Thanksgiving celebration.”

  “I don’t see why not. I’ll get Lainey to take my call.”

  Clapping her hands as she did when excited, “Let’s call him now.” Mai dialed and turned on the phone’s speaker.

  Jake was in the office completing charts when they reached him and told him of their plan to visit. “I can hardly wait,” he responded. To Bret, who hadn’t seen the office since the open house party in July, he said, “You’re going to like what I’ve done here. I’ve set it up so we’ll be able to work and not get in each other’s way.”

  “Can’t wait to see it and you,” he said.

  Mai chimed, “Until tomorrow.”

  The next day they packed the Firebird and before noon began the drive to Connecticut. Traffic, a stop for a quick lunch, and a wrong turn got them to the office a little after four. They called when they reached Coventry. Jake said he cleared his schedule and was waiting. He and Corrie Hunter were in the parking lot when they arrived.

  Mai ran to Jake and gave him a bear hug. It was followed by Mai reaching out and grasping Corrie’s hands. Both remarked that the other looked terrific.

  Bret and Jake embraced.

  Pointing to his assistant, Jake said to Bret, “You remember Corrie Hunter, don’t you?”

  “Of course I do.” Bret said, “We met at the grand opening party.”

  “Yes, we did,” Corrie agreed. “That was fun, especially getting to meet so many of the local dentists who stopped by. Although, as I remember, you left a little early. You weren’t feeling well.”

  “Ahh, right about that.” Before Corrie could ask another question, Bret said, “So, how do you like working here? I gather from Jake you’ve adjusted nicely to the new job.”

  Jake answered for her, “She’s doing a bang-up job as my combination anesthesia nurse and office manager. Couldn’t get along without her.” He winked at Corrie, “She’s a regular Gal Friday.”

  Shaking her head in an ‘ah shucks, you mean little ole me’ fashion, Corrie said, “Doctor Warden, you’re exaggerating.”

  Corrie checked her watch, “Look at how the time flies. I’ve got to run. Nice seeing you both again.”

  Jake couldn’t hide his excitement as he asked Bret and Mai to follow him for a tour of the office. As promised, Bret was impressed with the improvements meant to make it user friendly. It excited him to know that in a matter of months he would become part of the practice.

  After finishing the tour, Jake said, “Now that you’ve seen the nuts and bolts of the business, let’s go to my place and have a drink? The drive must have made you thirsty.”

  Mai agreed, “You took the words out of my mouth.”

  Bret said nothing.

  “You two follow me,” Jake said, “We’ll drive through the university so you can see how active it is.”

  The campus walkways and streets were jammed. Bret followed Jake’s Subaru. “The students look so young, don’t they?” he said to Mai. “Hard to believe that just a little more than seven years ago, I was walking a campus like this. So much has happened since, meeting you being the best part.”

  Engrossed in the activity around them, Mai didn’t respond.

  At the condo Jake served martinis.

  “Just one for me.” Bret said accepting the drink. “I haven’t forgotten what happened on my last visit here.” Although he hadn’t had a reaction to alcohol since that time, Bret was determined to have one martini. He refused when offered a second.

  Jake mentioned his new interest in cooking. “I’ve signed up for a class at the university. The next time you visit you’ll have gourmet food, but today it’s spaghetti and meatballs with a green salad and bottled dressing.”

  With an encouraging smile, Mai said, “My favorites.”

  Bret was hungry and ate every morsel on his plate. He finished first, and while waiting for the others, said, “It won’t be long before I have to find a place to live here.” Eschewing subtlety, he indicated Mai with a movement of his head, “I hope to have someone help me look for one.”

  Mai saw his gesture and responded, “You’re right. And, you’re going to have to do it soon. I’d like to help if it’s okay with you.”

  Bret was wearing his happy face, “That’d be great.”

  The condo bedrooms were situated off halls at opposite ends of the living space, an arrangement that pleased Bret. It afforded the privacy he wanted. He was planning on having sex, and didn’t want carnal noises emanating from his bedroom to reach Jake.

  That evening, while they were making love, Bret whispered, “I love you, Mai.”

  Without skipping a beat of the fierce rhythm of her hips, Mai responded, “I love you too, Jake.”

  It took a few seconds for Bret to realize she had said Jake’s name. When it hit him, he flew from her body as if it was charged with a thousand volts of electricity.

  Startled, Mai exclaimed, “What are you doing? What happened?”

  “You said Jake . . . you said you loved Jake.” The words had to squeeze through tightened lips.

  “No I didn’t. You must have misheard me.” She wrapped her arms about him and held tight.

  A tug of war raged—he certain of what he heard, and she denying it. As they argued, Bret became confused and gave Mai the benefit of the doubt. He had misheard. There was no reason she would say Jake’s name when they were making love.

  In the morning neither mentioned the incident, although Mai was clingy and paid extra attention to him. The remainder of the weekend went without a hitch. They made love that night. Bret overcame a cautious beginning and finished in grand style. He was glad they resolved the issue and continued to have sex. Like Jake, he had an inner animal, and Mai unleashed it. She made him feel like a man.

  In three months, Bret was slated to begin the next chapter of his life, and he hoped Mai would be with him when he went to Windham. During their visit with Jake, Mai implied she would accompany him to Connecticut, but seemed to have let the matter drop. He didn’t want to apply pressure for fear of panicking her. The hope was within a short time she would make up her mind. In the interim, his plans were on hold.

  Although working weekends, Mai spent the major portion of weekday nights at his apartment. She continued to maintain hers, and Bret thought she was using it as a psychological sanctuary to which she could run if the need arose.

  In May, she spent a rare weekend at Bret’s apartment. On Monday morning as Mai was leaving for work, she turned to him, “We should free up a few days and go to Windham to look for a place for us to live.”

  Bret was dumbstruck by the suddenness of the proposal. He wasn’t sure if she was saying they should reside in Windham as a married couple, or they should live together. He hoped the former, but would settle for the latter. “You’re right, and soon,” he said.

  “Yes. And if it’s okay, I’d like to give up my apartment and stay here.�
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  His pulse racing, “That would be terrific,” he added, “Does this mean marriage?”

  Her pale blue eyes fixed on him, “No. For the time being it means living together, although as a matter of decorum we’ll tell most people we’re married.”

  “What about Jake, what do we tell him?”

  “The truth, of course.”

  Mai returned at eight that evening. Bret was watching television in the living room.

  “I’ve done it,” she announced.

  “Done what?”

  She related the details of her busy day. “Instead of going to work, I called my boss and told him I wouldn’t be at work for several days. After that, I contacted a bunch of moving companies until I found one willing to come to my apartment today and give me an estimate.”

  “You did all that?”

  “Yes, and more. I want to make the move on Thursday, and they can do it. I agreed to their fee. It’s expensive but worth it.”

  Mai continued, “Then, I informed the manager of my building I’ll be leaving by the end of the week. The downside is I’m going to lose my deposit. I spent the rest of the day getting boxes from local businesses and packing things I want to keep. The packing should be finished tomorrow.”

  While Bret had been unprepared for Mai’s quick action, he was obligated to encourage her. He didn’t want to risk her thinking him wishy-washy after he’d spent a huge amount of energy to convince her to do what she was doing.

  “Where will we put your furniture? I don’t have much room. Should we store it?”

  “I’m giving away a lot of it. The movers are going to take most of my stuff to the Salvation Army. We should be able to fit what’s left in here, although we’ll be crowded. It saves the expense of storing it. Besides, it won’t be for long.”

  Mai turned the topic to Connecticut. “I want to live in a real country home. Out in the sticks. It’s one of the benefits of a place like Windham.”

  Bret agreed. “It’s your choice where we live. While I’m working, you’ll be home, and you’ve got to be happy.”

  “Let’s tell Jake what we’re doing. He can hook us up with a realtor.”

  They were having martinis at Jake’s condo. Mai, her customary exuberant self, was in the kitchen with Jake while Bret was on the couch in the living room feeling the effects of a sinus condition. As a precaution, he had taken a half dose of NyQuil. Being a big guy, he didn’t think the alcohol and NyQuil would make him drowsy.

  Jake wore the apron he used in his cooking class at the university while preparing Coq au Vin. In addition to sports events, his television viewing included cooking programs. Cook’s Country, a PBS program, was his favorite because it took a scientific approach to food preparation.

  Between sips of her martini, Mai said to Jake in a voice meant for Bret to hear, “So you’re seeing a pharmacology grad student, huh?”

  “Yeah,” Jake said, “Her name’s Grace Putman. We’ve been spending a lot of time together.” With a wooden spoon, he stirred the brown liquid simmering in a pot on the stove. “I even get to go to her research lab some evenings and watch her work. I’m there for hours.”

  “I see,” Mai said, “Is it just the two of you? I mean, alone in the lab.”

  “Usually. She picks times other students generally don’t like.”

  Another, “I see,” followed by, “Ummm.”

  It’s nice being with her, but I don’t think the relationship is going anywhere.” Jake gave her a playful wink, “There are so many beautiful and lusty women at the university that there’s always someone catching my eye.”

  “Pig.” Mai raised her knee as if about to hit Jake in the groin. He dropped his hands to protect himself. “I didn’t think you were such a misogynist,” she said, “You’re lucky I didn’t follow through with my kick.”

  Turning sideways for better protection, he said, “I’m not. Those are just the facts of life at a university.” He was quick to add, “Although I haven’t seen anyone half as intelligent or as beautiful as you.”

  Mai pantomimed licking his face with her tongue and gave him a big smile.

  Bret was listening to the banter and was pleased by Jake’s compliment. From the living room he said, “You’d be hard put to find anyone with Mai’s looks and intellect, Jake. By the way, what time tomorrow morning are we meeting this realtor of yours?”

  “He’ll be here at ten with a list of places to see. I told him you said you wanted a home with lots of privacy.”

  From their separate areas of the condo, both guests nodded agreement.

  The discussion of house hunting continued during the meal. The Coq Au Vin in a large crock displayed the newfound skills of the neophyte cook. Beaujolais at the proper temperature was an excellent accompaniment.

  Bret began to feel the effects of the medicine. “NyQuil’s hit me. Think I’ll take a little nap.” As he walked to the bedroom, he turned and said, “Wake me in an hour, okay.”

  Jake and Mai assured him they would.

  While Bret was in a drug induced sleep, the woman he loved and the man he thought of as his close friend were on a couch in the living room. Mai sat lotus-like facing Jake and leaned into him for conversational privacy. She looked toward the bedroom door, “I checked in on him and heard loud snoring. I assume you spiked his drink?”

  “Yeah. I gave him the usual twenty of Valium. We don’t have anything to worry about.”

  “Are you sure you didn’t overdose him? I always worry about that. We could get into trouble if he dies.”

  “Pretty sure. If he did die, though, all we’d say is he had a drug habit. He told us he was getting help, and we thought he kicked it. Fooled us.” Shaking his head, “Naw, we wouldn’t get in any trouble.”

  Mai said, “But we’d have to start all over and find someone else to take his place. Is there another candidate available?”

  Jake gave a weary, “At the moment, no,” and sighed.

  Mai looked into his eyes. “What’s bothering you? You’re not going to purposely overdose him, are you?”

  He clasped his hands. “Don’t worry about that. It’s just that I agreed to go along with this charade, but I don’t like it.”

  Mai swallowed. “Don’t think I like what we’re doing. Because of my parents and uncles, I’ve got to pretend to be married to him.” She paused before saying, “I told them about him and they didn’t object.” She could hear Jake’s teeth grinding. “If they ever found out about our cover-up, I shudder to think of how they would react.”

  “What did you tell them? Your parents.”

  “That we were married by a J.P. in a simple ceremony witnessed by the J.P.’s wife. Said he had been raised as an orphan. Had no family ties and didn’t want to create any. They were not to expect him to visit, ever. It’s just the way he is. They gave me their blessings. They want me to be happy. Made me promise to visit once in a while.”

  “And his family?”

  “Although he has a bunch of relatives, he hardly ever sees them. He’s only close to his mother and one uncle. Refers to him as Uncle Hubie. Big time lawyer, I guess. The only contact I’ve had with his family is talking to his mother on the phone.”

  “He doesn’t say much about her,” Jake said, “But he really looks up to his uncle. Name is Hubie Santos. And you’re right. He’s one hell of a lawyer.”

  His family knows we’re living together,” Mai said. She turned her head from Jake. “Damn. I’m getting sick of the lies and machinations.

  Jake took and squeezed her hand.

  Mai’s anger had built. “It’s tougher than I thought it would be. My skin crawls when he touches me. And when he fucks me . . . that’s what it is, you know, because I won’t call it making love . . . I have to pretend to like it. “I’m constantly faking orgasms.” She began to sob.

  Jake winced. That another man was having sex with Mai drove him wild. During a man-to-man discussion they had, Bret let slip that he “loved the taste of Mai’s pussy
.” The words nailed images into Jake’s brain, and he hated Bret for saying it.

  In spite of his negative feelings toward Bret, he had to buoy Mai’s spirits before everything came unraveled, “Think of him as our instrument,” he said. “To be used for our purposes until we don’t need him anymore. We’ll discard him like rotting meat.”

  Mai dried her eyes with a tissue and shook her head. “I know you’re right. As long as we love each other it doesn’t matter what we do.”

  Jake saw an opening, “I hesitate to bring it up, but I’ve been thinking. You and Bret should tie the knot.”

  Mai’s eyes widened. “Oh? Why marry him and not just keep pretending we are?”

  “Because of your uncles. If they decide to make sure you’re really married, it wouldn’t be hard for them to learn the truth. Marriages are part of the public record. A trip to city hall is all it would take.”

  Mai agreed, “You’re right. In spite of what you and he said earlier, I’m not so smart, after all. I should have thought of that.”

  “Well, it’s easy to take care of. Contact a J.P. when you get back to the city, and get married. There’s no blood or other tests required, only paperwork. I looked into it when I was hoping to marry you. It would solve a potential problem with your uncles, and our situation won’t change.”

  “I’ll tell him we are back in the city,” Mai replied. “Bret will jump at the chance to make our cohabitation legal.” She leaned forward and gave Jake a kiss, “There’s no doubt about it. You’re the smart one.”

  Jake was pleased Mai was feeling better. “Remember, we’re a team.”

  “We sure are.”

  “By the way, I hope you’re not concerned about Grace and me . . . or any other woman.”