Chapter One

An introduction to the main character Travis.

“Finally!” Said Travis after he was able to see Jolleen in that short skirt that he hadn't seen her wear since last fall. Jolleen has long, shapely legs that simply need to be shown off. She had shown up for work at the factory that morning wearing a short, mini, denim skirt which usually causes near panic and leering glances among the mostly male workforce in the rural central Michigan city of Dunlap.  Travis can’t help but notice the lovely Jolleen and think about her, but he also knows that in his current situation any relationship with Jolleen would probably be short term.   Mann Lake Supply is one of the main employers in Dunlap and they are well aware of this fact. Mann Lake goes through employees almost at will and seems to value the bottom line above all else. Since the area has been so negatively affected by the recession, MannLake seems to have the power to treat its workforce however they see fit. Mann Lake Suppy has become more and more successful over the past few years supplying the USA with items related to bee keepers. The company has catalogs that are sent out monthly and its nation wide market share in this business has increased impressively over the past few years. The company has recently been able to expand its operations in the area, add or refurbish buildings, and increase its workforce. Travis lives with a quiet, shy girl named Andrea who is three years younger. Travis and Andrea are raising Andrea’s child together but have so far decided not to take the marital plunge. Travis cares for his girlfriend and is content with the life they were building together, but is concerned that Andrea has recently lost interest in him. Travis is approaching his thirtieth birthday, is still in good shape, and doesn’t want to be celibate. Andrea also suffers from mood swings and she seems to become annoyed at nearly everything that Travis does lately. Travis fears that his relationship which at one time was, amazing is now becoming troubled.  Travis feels a bit guilty as he has started to notice other women.   Lately, Travis has been throwing himself into being as good of a step dad as possible. He loves young Taylor and enjoys spending time with her. She has even started to call him ‘dad’ which touches his heart. But at the same time, Travis wonders: “Am I really the domestic type? Can I really do this? Will this last?  Taylor is so adorable and seems to really need me in her life.  And I like how I feel about myself when I am around her.   Travis grew up in the Michigan city of Flint. He was a successful athlete in high school and he graduated from MichiganState with a degree in business Administration, focusing in the area of economics. Travis is 29 years old and he is tall with longer, dark hair. Travis a rather confident man who has always cared about family first. He grew up in a loving family that also knew its hardships. Travis lost his younger sister to a car accident when he was eight years old, and his only other sibling is his older brother Ron who is married with three children and now lives in a Chicago suburb.   Upon graduating from College, Travis was able to land a good job with a large company in Detroit called Carlson Companies as a Computer Analyst. Travis had good income and excellent benefits. He also was well liked by his boss and he made his job the center of his life. Travis had dreams of working his way up the company ladder at Carlson and someday even working in upper management. Carlson Companies however was greatly hurt by a lawsuit brought on by a competitor and has had to greatly cut it work force and its operations. Travis was one of the cuts.

Travis came home from work early this evening. Rick, the foreman at the plant, had sent everyone home after an important shipment had not arrived. Without those materials that were supposed to come via truck freight there was no reason to keep the whole crew on until 4:30 pm, especially since the pace of the work has been getting a little slow lately.

Travis was relieved to be coming home early. He planned on surprising Andrea and this could maybe even become a nice romantic evening for the two of them. It seems as if it had been months since he and his girl friend had spent a nice evening together.

When Travis turned the corner on his street he noticed a strange car in the driveway of their small house. He thought it odd that an unrecognizable car would be parked there since Andrea has few friends other than her family. Travis feels a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something doesn't seem right. It is only 1:30 and Taylor their six year old first grader would still be at school.

Travis approached the house cautiously very curious as to who is apparently inside with Andrea, if anyone. Were they being robbed? Was it an aggressive salesman inside with her? Travis feels his heart start to race. Travis then starts to hear a sound which had at one time been very familiar to his ears. Travis hears the distinctive sound of lovemaking coming from an open window in the house.

 

It sounds like someone is having sex with Andrea

                                 

Author's Note

This is the introduction to Travis.

Reviews

[Michel]

I enjoyed reading this. The story drew me in to Travis' world and want to spend more time there.

[Muse]

Wow....I feel sorry for him already.
You pull the reader along effortlessly. The intro provided a good back drop for what's to come. The plot is tangible...a theme we can all relate to...to some degree, and I think this is what makes the writing approachable and personal. Well done!

[Robbie~xoxo~]

Wow! What a cliff hanger for the first chapter... You have written a good description of the main character and worked the details of his background in the first chapter. Nice write...great job!