Chapter Five

The enormity of this current situation starts to sink in for Travis.

After leaving Jolleens home quietly, Travis doesn’t know what he is going to do, or where he is going to do it.  Jolleen is polite in explaining to him that she is interested in Kevin first, and that she had never even thought of him as a potential date since he was living with someone.  She also tells Travis that she has heard through the grapevine that Andrea had been seeing other men for quite a while.

 

 Most of his friends are probably already at the bars for the night.  Travis only has a brother whom he rarely sees in another state.  His aged mother is in an assisted living arrangement in a nearby town, and Travis has never been close to her.  His father is dead.  

So, where do I go?

 

Travis has no intention of going home to see what will happen there.   Travis has already decided that Andrea looks very happy with her new boyfriend so he plans to stop by the next day to collect the small amount of stuff that is his. “Hopefully she won’t be home.  I don’t think I will be up to a fight, or lies from her.  I just want to forget her and to erase her from my mind.  If she has changed the locks on me I'll kick the damn door down!  What a b***h!”

This brings Travis to the more immediate thoughts of Jolleen.

 

“Could this have really just happened?  What the F**K?  Am I out of my f*****g mind?  How could I have read this so wrong?  I really thought she liked me!  Am I this desperate?  I thought we might end up in bed together tonight, but instead she just blows me off?  Holy crap!  I never, ever thought that that would happen!”

 

Travis decides to go to the only person in his life who he knows will not be drunk tonight or disinterested.  Rick Spencer, Travis’ foreman from work.  Travis has always been an admirer of Ricks.  Rick is a married family man, and one of the nicest men that Travis knows.  Rick trained Travis in at the plant and has always been friendly and decent to everyone at the plant.

 

Travis decides to call Rick just to see if that will make him feel a little better.  Travis is devastated and needs some reassurance that life will somehow eventually return to normal.  Losing his girlfriend and thereby his residence, as well as making a fool of himself with Jolleen are weighing very heavily on him.

 

Travis reaches for his cell phone so that he can make the call.  Ricks number is already in his phone since that is the same number employees call in the morning when too sick to go to work.

 

Travis is relieved that Rick has answered his phone this evening.  Travis somewhat excitedly tells Rick how happy he is to get a hold of him, and how bad of an evening it has been.   After relating to his boss the number of tough breaks that he has endured over the previous six hours, Travis is a bit surprised at how quiet Rick is on the other end of the line.

 

After several minutes, Travis asks Rick if he is still on the line.  Travis’ heart begins to sink even further when a subdued Rick breaks the news to Travis that the owners of the plant are thinking of selling out to foreign investors.  These investors are planning to automate many of the jobs at the plant and layoffs are expected over the next several months.

 

Travis is numb.  He starts to piece together what this really might mean for him.  He likes his job and right now his job is the only thing he has.  Travis can’t even imagine losing his job.  He is barely making things work right now and no income even for a short period of time would be out of the question.  Travis responds by telling Rick that he ‘needs to go’ and hangs up the phone.

 

“Oh my God.  Oh my God”   Travis keeps saying to himself over and over again.    “What do I do now?   This can’t be happening.   This is too much right now.”  Travis holds his head in his hands.

 

Travis realizes that he has nowhere to go and no one to talk to at this point.  He doesn’t know if or when he will lose his job, and that would be too much to take.  Travis does not have much for savings or even a great income.  His heart is still aching over seeing his live in girlfriend who he trusted having sex with another man in his own home.  And, he is still feeling embarrassment over thinking that girl from work might be interested in him, only to find out she likes his best friend Kevin better!

 

Travis decides that the best thing to do is to find a quiet parking lot somewhere and crawl in the back seat of the truck and get some needed rest.  At least I have somewhere to go tomorrow.  I still have a job for now.