Second Chances

By Ian MacDonald

A famous author, along with her former classmates, attends their class reunion celebrating 25 years since graduation. The story outlines the lives they have led since their schooldays, some had become successful professionally, others not so much. They had all led colorful lives at one point or another, but today they were respectable pillars of society and they wished to remain so - even though their current behavior may be questionable. Some of the attendees had struggled in life but would now be given a second chance to find the happiness that had eluded them previously. However, who they were now and who they used to be were two very different things. There was explosive information out there and it could very well derail careers, marriages and certainly reputations if their incendiary exploits were brought to light. The burning question was - would anyone light the fuse. It was for this reason that tickets to this event had been sold out long ago. This could prove to be a most unforgettable reunion and very few wanted to miss it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ian MacDonald
• Release date: May 2, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311017833

Ian MacDonald

The author was born and educated in England and served in the British armed forces and briefly as an officer in the British Prison Service. He subsequently became a financial adviser and retired as an executive in a financial planning firm. He took up writing as a hobby upon retirement and he now lives in Ontario with his wife. His writing has a military or law enforcement theme to it as his interests lie in that field.

Book preview

Second Chances

By

Ian Macdonald

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Copyright 2013 Smashwords Edition

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Smashwords Edition License Notes

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A few long time girlfriends attend a class reunion and reminisce about their antics in High School and the challenges in life they had overcome since. Many of them had been given second chances, others were now about to get theirs. They had been wild and spirited nymphs back then, but now they were respectable and accomplished women and they wished to maintain and protect their current reputations. Some of their former activities however could provide a powder keg for this reunion and in some cases some of their current activities could do also. This reunion could be explosive – but would anyone dare to light the fuse? It was no wonder that tickets to this event were sold out long ago.

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All characters in this book are fictional. Should there be any similarity to persons living or deceased they are purely coincidental and unintentional.

Acknowledgements

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Cover Designer"

Rita Toews

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Cover Page : photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/austinrobbins/2947712153/>ceylon studios via http://photopin.com>photopin http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/>cc

Table of Contents

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Chapter One – Penny’s Homecoming

Chapter Two – Classmates

Chapter Three – Anxiety

Chapter four – Secrets

Chapter five – Reunion Dinner

Chapter Six – Betty & Alice

Chapter Seven – Lunch Stories

Chapter Eight – Marriage Breakup

Chapter Nine – The Partnership

Chapter Ten – Alice Shines

Chapter Eleven – The Wedding Dress

Chapter Twelve – The Wedding

Chapter Thirteen – Christmas

Chapter Fourteen – Kim

Chapter Fifteen – Brian’s Lapse

Chapter Sixteen – Tom’s Epiphany

Chapter Seventeen – Claire

Chapter Eighteen – Brenda

Chapter Nineteen – Marilyn

Chapter Twenty – Tom’s Colleagues

Chapter twenty One – Tom’s Wedding

Chapter Twenty Two – Thanksgiving Joy

Second Chances

Chapter One

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Penny Mason had grown up in Markton and it was only after university that she had moved away to the big city. It was there that she had made her fame and fortune. Markton however is where all of her early memories where and all of her childhood experiences. She had lots to remember in that regard, both good and bad. Her high school days had been particularly eventful, but then they were for most of us I would imagine. It was those high school days that were now causing Penny some discomfort. The school was having a class reunion for her graduating class of 1985. It was to celebrate the 25th anniversary of that day they had all left high school to continue on with the rest of their lives. Penny had been asked to speak to the group. She was the obvious choice given her celebrity as an internationally renowned author and she was also highly regarded within the town too. She was after all the local girl who had made it big time in the city and also on the international stage. Parents would point to her success in guiding their children and letting them know what could be achieved by hard work and devotion to their studies. She was a shining example of what could be accomplished if one applied oneself and the townspeople lauded her achievements and ensured their kids got the message too. They were all looking forward to seeing Penny at the reunion.

Penny on the other hand had her own reservations about attending this celebration and was in fact quite apprehensive about appearing at this function. She knew she had little choice in the matter, but like everyone else, she had made her share of mistakes in High School. The question she was asking herself was – would some of these transgressions now come back to bite her. The young girl of her youth was a much different person today and certainly a far wiser one. The woman that would be addressing the auditorium was a respected internationally famous author. Twenty five years ago things were very different and there would be many people present that night that would be very well aware of it too. Although she was highly regarded by most people, there was one or two who would definitely not be on the same page. The question was would they be in attendance and if so would they cause trouble by digging up the past?

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Brett Stark had also read about the upcoming reunion in the local paper and he had given it little thought. At least he hadn’t until he saw who the keynote speaker was. That cemented his attendance right then and there. He was now a successful contractor with his own large construction company and he was doing very well. In his High School days he could never have been accused of stellar academic achievement. He was a sports fanatic and very interested in girls. His interest in anatomy however did not have an element of scientific study attached to it, despite his diligent pursuit and search for knowledge in that area. He was a likeable rogue and the boy girl’s mothers told their daughters to stay away from. That of course intensified his magnetic appeal on the spot – and it needed very little enhancement believe me. He was a sports star, had film star looks and an underwear model physique. He did not suffer from loneliness back then; he was a very popular boy. Oh Yes, Brett stark had it all going for him.

He had helped a friend in his contracting business when he left school in order for him to learn the ropes and now he had his own firm. However, times had not always been easy for Brett. He had paid his dues and everyone in town respected him for it. He was known now for his honesty and reliability and his accuracy in the job quotes he gave to his clients. Like Penny, Brett had reservations about attending this function also. Twenty five years ago he was a very different person too. He was a self-assured football star, popular with the girls and faithful to none of them. He had been cavalier in his attitude towards them and broken many hearts. The fact that he regretted that now was academic, the damage had been done and perhaps some could not forget it and certainly not forgive it. Twenty five years is a long time to hold a grudge or in fact remember some transgression that carries little significance in today’s world. That’s as maybe, but here in Markton those memories to some people are as clear as if that happened yesterday. Elephants have good memories people tell us. Compared to some of Markton’s residents they are absent minded by comparison. Knowing some juicy tid bit and broadcasting it to the world are two completely different things. Then there was the question about people living in glass houses, and some were very well aware of that issue too. Oh Yes, people certainly did have cause to be apprehensive about attending this function, it could well be a powder keg. The question was, would anyone light the fuse? Was it any wonder that tickets to this event were sold out long ago?

Penny had left Markton to go to university and after earning her degree in journalism had travelled around the globe as a reporter. She had done this for five or six years before she came back and settled down. During her travels she had seen many sights that she would rather forget, but it had made her who she was today. She had married a fellow journalist early in her twenties, but that didn’t last and she soon divorced him. Irreconcilable differences were cited as the reason. She had remarried at thirty three to a Dr. Tom Forrest, a cardiologist in one of the city’s hospitals and now had two children a boy aged six and a girl aged four. Along the way she had decided to write a novel and it became a best seller. The two others she had written failed to make the grade, but subsequent efforts certainly did and she was world famous now. Her husband, however, was not entirely comfortable with his wife’s celebrity. The idea that his wife had more public recognition and social prestige was a constant source of irritation for him and her income just added insult to injury. These resentments had a detrimental effect on the marriage and only the children were keeping them together now. Effectively they lead their own lives, but each respected the professional status of the other and would not compromise that with inappropriate behavior. Within their home however, her husband was less accommodating and he growled at Penny all the time. Those assaults were verbal not physical, but mental assaults can be just as painful if not worse at times. Those scars take a long time to heal, far longer than the physical ones. The children knew enough to run and hide when Daddy was in a bad mood. They loved their dad though. When he was in a good mood he was a very good father and played endlessly with the children and did all the things dads do. It was only when he was mad that he would go off the rails. Then he would lash out at Penny and call her all the names in the book and throw her past life in her face. He had no evidence of her past life, only his suspicions, but that was enough for him. He certainly had a fertile imagination. If she had not been a virgin when he married her then she had to have been a slut and slept with everyone and his brother before he came along. He was not a reasonable human being when he was in such a foul mood and this was becoming a more frequent event lately. Thankfully he had declined to attend this reunion, although Penny suspected her had his own reasons for that.

The excitement on Sycamore Lane was now beginning to build. This was the Mason family’s home address. Her younger sister Cindy Tyler was really looking forward to her big sister’s return to Markton. Cindy was married to Eric Tyler and also had two children. Eric was an auto mechanic by trade but he now owned his own repair shop and employed four mechanics. They were not rich, but they were comfortable, and so were her parents who lived across the street in the family home. Eric was a good man and he loved his wife and children and they in turn adored him. Cindy worked the cash register in the local supermarket five days a week and as a consequence knew most folks in town. Those checkout lines at a supermarket transmitted gossip faster than Western Union ever could. If it happened in town, it would be discussed in the checkout line. Cindy heard far more juicy gossip in that line than the traditional tabloid magazines sold in the same line. You Know! The trashy ones that nobody reads, but they are always sold out of. Cindy could write a book about what she heard and if she did, the reader would need to keep a fire extinguisher nearby – those stories were volcanic to say the least, the torrid affairs, the secret abortions, who said what about whom, and who saw who doing what, where, and with whom? Peyton Place was tame compared to Markton if you listened to this. The trouble was of course, that there was a certain amount of truth to some of it. Those stories were always qualified by: Now I can’t say for certain but ……… They became gospel immediately; such is life in small towns with inquisitive minds. High schools are equally good at spreading false and malicious gossip. Jealousies are quite often behind these vicious rumors and are designed to hurt and mortally wound reputations. Girls who spoiled other girl’s chances with a boy were certainly targets and rumors took hold pretty quickly. The boys of course would claim things simply to enhance their stud qualifications and in doing so trash a girl’s reputation. It is not easily restored once it’s out there that you are less than chaste. How much less is of no consequence. However, twenty five years later these high school peccadilloes should be forgotten and for the most part they would be. People had moved on with their lives and were no longer the wild kids they all attended school with. This fact would soon be made clear to them all as most had lost touch with each other since then.

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Wayne Grubb and his wife Roxy were an altogether different matter. Both were high school drop-outs and with plenty of axes to grind. Wayne had fallen afoul of the law on many occasions. He was a minor criminal really and most of his crimes were theft related, petty larceny, burglary that sort of thing. He had been a guest of the state on numerous occasions. Currently he appeared to be going straight and had a steady job in an auto junk yard sorting parts. His wife Roxy was an Exotic Entertainment Artiste, and was the featured act at the local Gentleman’s Leisure Lounge. In other words she was a pole dancer at a strip club. Needless to say their social prestige was hardly up there with the elite of Markton. They did however attend high school, well in the early years anyway and they were even hanging around a little later too; selling drugs etc. Yes, these people could shatter a few images should they decide to open their mouths. These two mixed with some very unsavory people, bikers and the like and were avoided like the plague by everyone with an ounce of common sense.

The Sword and Dragon gentleman’s club was on the outskirts of town, and for good reason. Its patrons were for the most part the less savory elements of the town. It was a hot bed of criminal activity and lascivious behaviour. It certainly made a lot of money though. The waitresses, (for want of a better word) also performed on the stage, though not in an accepted theatrical sense. They would dance (If that is what one calls dancing) for money. They were in fact strippers, but then one has to wear items to strip off. In their case they started with precious little in the first place. They would also perform individual performances at a gentleman’s table for that little extra. The more money offered the fewer clothes she would wear. As I mentioned earlier, a lot of money changed hands in that establishment. In high school however, Wayne’s bad boy image brought him some female attention. He had had his share of virgins too, some the police would be interested in talking to him about if only they knew. Some of them would be attending the reunion, with their husbands and families. Being re-acquainted with Wayne Grubb was not something they wished to face, either now or ever again. That possibility was cause for concern, especially for Mary Marsh.

Mary had been a wild child in high school. She was up to all kinds of mischief. There was just her and her mom. Her mom had to work constantly to keep food on the table and this left Mary alone most of the time. There would be parties in her house, booze would be consumed and the odd drug taken here and there. It was all happening in Mary’s house back then. If you dropped in to one of those orgies, and that is exactly what they were, you would be tripping over bodies. All the girls were supposedly sleeping over at a girlfriend’s house; the guys had gone camping with a buddy.

The parents would have freaked had they known just what was going on here. Wayne Grubb supplied most of the drugs, but not the real heavy and addictive variety. All of these pharmaceutical enhancements were designed to lessen the resistance of the girls when the guys took them to bed. The girls were not exactly kicking and screaming about that prospect either. They knew what was coming and they were there willingly. None of them thought that they were attending a convent tea party. Wayne was a likeable rogue and because of his image as a bad boy he held a certain fascination for the girls. Like Brett Stark, he was seldom short of female companionship because of it. Wayne had been with many of the girls back then; he had been a very naughty boy and encouraged them to become naughty girls also, something that they were more than willing to do. Curiosity had gotten the better of them but fortunately none of them ever got pregnant. However, that was who they were then. Today those young girls were mature women as well as being wives and mothers. Those wild raucous parties by the lake were a thing of the past – as was their behaviour. Some of the antics and numerous activities that had gone on during those wild romps were things best left as memories and certainly not to be discussed at the reunion. Most people would respect that –Wayne and Roxy probably would not. They had axes to grind, along with one or two other people too and this could be a problem. It was this sort of thing that was causing considerable anxiety in many of the attendees. The potential for embarrassment was there all right – but would anyone bring it to light? Not having an answer to that question weighed heavily on their minds - Mary Marsh being one such person. She had been a wild child back then and full of devilment. She had dated Wayne too for a while, so you can imagine what that would do for her reputation. Today Mary is a highly respected lawyer and on the fast track to becoming a judge. She has a stellar reputation within the town for her charity work in helping disadvantaged youth and in the legal community for her steel trap mind and her encyclopaedic knowledge of the law. Mary did not need anyone throwing a grenade into her life at this point and neither did anyone else for that matter.

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There were two hotels nearby, the Hilton and the Holiday Inn and both had been fully booked for some time. All the out of town members of the class of ’85 had registered well in advance. The list of attendees had been posted in the high school itself and in the local supermarket on the notice board. More than a few eyebrows had been raised when they looked at some of the names on that list. It was incomprehensible to some that certain people would dare to show up. Their experience in high school was traumatic, why would they revisit the place now?

People like Cathy Miller for example; she had been a social leper in high school, why would she be coming? Buddy Downs was another social misfit, yet he too was attending. Their high school days had been a disaster for both of them. They had been subjected to ridicule, practical jokes, and absolute cruelty. They must be sadists was the conclusion many had arrived at. That was an incorrect conclusion as they would find out later. High school had been a lot of fun for some and a total nightmare for others and now after twenty five years they were going to be together once more. This reunion would be a minefield of imponderables for a great many people. Valium would be packed in most suitcases by class members in order to handle the stress of attending this event. It could be a nightmare, or a blessing, but which and for whom? That was the burning question.

Chapter Two

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The high school was abuzz with the weekend’s reunion event. After all it wasn’t every day that one had an internationally famous personality visit Markton and even less a homegrown one. The school gymnasium had been decked out with bunting, the school band had been brushing up on the repertoire of music and a marquee had been set up outside on the sports field for the dinner which was being catered. The organizing committee was, as one might expect, rather anxious in making sure every little detail was taken care of. Betty Driver was in charge of that.

Blanche have you got the seating list? asked Betty.

Yes I do it’s on the table next to the stage

That’s good, thanks, Oh my! We will have to switch them

Switch who? asked Blanche Hunt,

We can’t have Emily Bishop next to Ivy Tilley, they would kill each other.

Why, what is all that about?

Oh they both had a thing for Alan Garth and it got ugly. They were both calling each other names and saying nasty things. Emily told everyone that Ivy had VD

Oh my God, I never hear about that. How could anyone be so nasty as to say a thing like that?

"Well it was pretty intense back then and fighting over boys was almost a local sport. Those two never did bury the hatchet – and even today they wouldn’t consider it –unless of course it was in each other’s head. That they probably would consider.

Yes I think separate tables would probably be a good idea said Blanche.

Are there any other couples seated at tables where past relationships could pose a problem. If the new wives and husbands did not attend our school back then, that should not be an issue – but if they did, and their spouses knew about such relationships that could be awkward.

"No I have checked the whole list and I can’t see any other potential issues, the table seating seems to be trouble free.

I don’t remember you dating much back than Blanche, or were you one of the quiet ones?

I had my moments, Betty.

Oh I’m sure you did, but I recall names such as a tease or the ice queen being thrown in your direction.

Blanche just smiled demurely at that as she remembered those names as vividly as if they were yesterday.

Well I considered it preferable to being considered easy or worse, the class bike. I thought it better to be considered as pure as driven snow instead.

I am getting the impression now that that may be a stretch, Blanche. I’m picking up vibes that suggest that you were something a little short of pure white snow.

Yes well, I am not going to get into that right now. Let’s just say I enjoyed my time in High School and that I learned one or two things other than academics and leave it at that.

Blanche Hunt, I am shocked, you were not a virgin when you left High School. Now that is definitely one for the year book.

Both women laughed at that remark.

"Do you think Wayne Grubb will show up for this reunion, Betty?

I very much doubt it and even if he did he wouldn’t bring his wife – there’s no pole for her.

Meow said Blanche and they both giggled.

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The reunion itself was more than just the evening’s event. The sports field was also going to be used. A soccer game had been arranged between the current school team and the reunion class. On paper it should have been a little one sided due to the age difference, but some people were not so sure. In addition there were fashion contests, cheerleading displays and a display by the marching band. The organizing committee had done a first class job of organizing this event and it was going to be remembered for years by those that attended. The evening dinner of course would be the featured event followed by the dancing in the gym. It was not supposed to be a black tie event, but you could count on one or two showing up looking like redundant Maître D’s in their rented tuxes. It just had to happen, people trying to upstage one another. The ladies of course would be paying attention not only to their own outfits, but to everyone else’s too. The local hairdressers would be busy that day. There would be no Off the Rack outfits worn that night. Twenty five years of repressed emotions were going to be displayed and any past put downs would be corrected by their swan like appearance