Читать книгу Trap Tales - David M. R. Covey - Страница 5

An irrepressible smile spread across Alex's face as he lightly tapped the accelerator of his brand-new luxury convertible. The shiny black car leapt smoothly from 0 to 60 mph with a burst of power that sent his head reeling.

“Now this is really living,” he mused as he merged into the fast lane on the interstate. “Nothing quite like the smell of new leather.”

The Southern California sun blazed, and the wind whipped through his hair as he put the top down with one click of a button. Catching a glimpse of himself in the rearview mirror, he was struck by his reflection. Looking good. He felt younger than he had in a long time.

The drive home ended all too soon. In no time at all he pulled his sparkling new acquisition to a stop in front of his home in an upscale Los Angeles neighborhood. Wouldn't his wife and kids be thrilled with his flashy new purchase! He couldn't wait to see their reaction when he boasted about his latest coup – a deal that had been too good to refuse. One minute he had been on a test drive, the next he was talking about a down payment…before he knew what had happened he was driving his new car off the lot!

Alex bounded up the front steps and through the front door with the energy of a man half his age.

“Kim, kids, get out here, there's something I've got to show you!” he exclaimed.

His two teenagers, lounging in the front room, barely raised their heads to acknowledge their father. Kim looked up from the desk where she was seated, poring over the family's finances, with an inquiring look on her face.

“What's all the excitement about?” she asked.

“Come on, you've got to see this,” he said. He grabbed her hand and nearly dragged her out the front door.

He felt her jerk to a stop as her eyes settled on the gleaming new car parked in front of their house. Her face registered disbelief mixed with despair. This was not the response he'd been hoping for.

“What is it? What's wrong?” he asked anxiously.

Kim had sunk down to sit on their front steps, looking like she might collapse at any moment. “Alex, what have you done? Where is your car? Where did this convertible come from?” she gasped.

“I got the best deal ever! It was a no-brainer! We had the money, and putting $8,000 cash as a down payment gave me the lowest interest rate possible.”

“You can't be serious. You can't be serious!”

“Kim, honestly. You're overreacting,” Alex responded.

“Overreacting?” Kim cried incredulously. “That $8,000 was set aside for our trip to Hawaii! That was our entire year's savings! And you just up and decide to blow it all in one go…on something we didn't agree upon? Out of the blue? No discussion? Unbelievable!”

“But Chaz said we wouldn't see a deal like this again. I had to move fast,” Alex defended.

“Please! Chaz? I don't ever want to hear that name again,” Kim exploded.

Chaz, Alex's friend and coworker, was always encouraging Alex to live life the way he lived it himself. That meant extravagantly, at least according to Kim. She had reminded Alex all too often that Chaz's bachelor lifestyle had nothing in common with theirs. As far as Kim was concerned, Chaz was a bad influence and a bad friend. The expensive golf trips to beach resort locations were one thing, but to blow their stash of $8,000 on a down payment for a new luxury convertible was going too far. What about the sedan Alex had been driving? It was barely three years old.

“Babe, don't worry! Seriously. I've got another credit card that will pay for our Hawaii trip – it's all taken care of.”

“But I don't want to add any more damn credit card debt to what we already owe! We're up to our eyeballs in debt, Alex!” Kim raised her voice angrily. “You take that car to the dealership tomorrow and get our money back. You don't need a new car and we don't need any more debt.”

“I can't do it. It's already paid for. And I got an awesome trade-in price for my old set of wheels. Chaz said we couldn't pass up a deal like this. He used to sell luxury cars, Kim. He knows these things. C'mon, let's go for a ride. You'll feel better after you see how great it handles!”

“I'm not speaking to you anymore, not tonight. You either take back that car or I'm not going to Hawaii next week.”

“Kim, honestly. It's done. Don't be insane. Of course you're coming to Hawaii.”

“I'm serious, Alex. You have a decision to make.” Kim stormed back inside the house, slamming the door behind her.

Alex and Kim slept in separate rooms that night. The next morning, Alex drove the shiny black convertible to work. Chaz was eagerly waiting for him in the parking lot.

“You are looking sharp in that car, my friend! How about letting me borrow it for my date this weekend?”

Alex laughed. “And who's your girlfriend this week? Is it still Jasmine?”

“Jasmine?” Chaz said with a hint of disgust. “I broke up with her two weeks ago. I'm dating Darci now.” Chaz passed his phone to Alex to show a selfie he'd taken with his new girlfriend on the beach.

“Nice photo. But I don't think so, Chaz. What if she spills a drink on the leather seats?” Alex joked.

“Good point,” Chaz laughed. “Come on, let's go make some sales.”

Alex had little time to dwell on whether Kim would follow through on her threat. His day was packed with meetings and calls, one right after another. At the end of the workday Chaz and a few other coworkers were going to go out for drinks and watch the game together. Alex didn't want to seem antisocial – besides, he wasn't really looking forward to seeing Kim right then. He decided to tag along, just for a few minutes.

Before he knew it, it was nearly nine o'clock. Alex couldn't believe it had gotten so late. He excused himself from the group. Only one missed call from Kim. Maybe she wouldn't be so angry after all. He wondered what she had made him for dinner.

Alex knew he was going to be in trouble when he got back, yet he couldn't help but smile as he considered the drive ahead. Sliding behind the leather steering wheel, he gripped it firmly as he pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road. “This feels so right. Kim will get over it,” he told himself. “It's just a matter of time.”

Soon he was lost in the joy of handling the sleek convertible as it responded to the slightest touch, as if he and the car were made for each other. He resisted the urge to take the long way home – it wouldn't do to upset Kim further. As Alex wheeled into the driveway and opened the garage door, he noticed her car was missing. She must be out running an errand, he thought.

Alex walked into the kitchen where his son Michael was doing math homework at the table. “Hey Mikey, where's Mom?”

Michael kept his head buried deep in his textbook. “You really stepped in it this time, Dad.” Alex's heart sank. Where was she? He climbed the stairs to their room and found a note lying on the bed.

Alex tore open the envelope.

Alex, I can't believe how self-serving and inconsiderate you've been. I'm leaving for San Francisco. Remember that job I was offered last month? I'm going to go check it out. The position still hasn't been filled, and they were thrilled to hear I might be interested. It's nice to feel like someone cares about what I have to say. It might make sense for us to be apart while we sort things out. Let's talk when you get back from Hawaii. I've already told the kids about my plan. Please take good care of them while I'm gone. – Kim.

Alex immediately tried to call her, but she didn't pick up. He texted her, but she didn't respond. He couldn't believe this was happening. How could she do this to him? Who was going to look after the kids? Her sense of timing was unbelievable! Alex felt overwhelmed by the injustice of it all. He fell back on the bed, unable to wrap his head around what she'd done. He glared at the ceiling until hot angry tears blurred his vision. How had everything gone so wrong? Was this the straw that finally broke the camel's back?

A week later, Alex found himself alone, standing on the balcony of his hotel room on the 34th floor, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. He stared blankly at the turquoise Hawaiian surf, watching it foam up on the shore as the tide rolled in. His kids had already changed into their swimsuits and were headed for the beach, ready to soak up every moment of Spring Break. Laura was relieved to be free from her Advanced Placement classes, and even Michael, who enjoyed his studies, couldn't leave Junior High behind fast enough. They had wanted to have fun with their friends over the break, but who could pass up a week in Hawaii, even if they had to hang out with their old man?

It had been more than three years since Alex's last vacation. He'd been promising his kids he would take them to Hawaii when his life slowed down. The problem was that life never seemed to slow down. In fact, it seemed to be speeding up.

He wished he could stop time, stay in this beautiful scene, and forget the world he had left behind in California. The future now felt uncertain, and instead of his usual confidence, he felt insecure and alone. He was unsure how things would play out with his wife, and he almost didn't want to know.

Alex shrugged his shoulders to release the tension of these burdens. That morning, looking in the bathroom mirror, he'd noticed how his thinning hair was turning gray. But the sight and sound of the pounding surf was having a calming effect on him. He began to reflect on key events that had transpired in his life.

Alex and Kim had met their freshman year in college. They were always bumping into each other around campus. They were good friends for two years before their relationship turned romantic and they became a couple. They married soon after graduation. At first they didn't have a lot of money, but they didn't mind. They were young, smart, ambitious, and, most importantly, in love.

They had come to this very hotel for their honeymoon. Alex remembered how happy they had been, remembered the feeling that their whole lives lay stretched out before them and anything was possible. Nothing else mattered as long as they could face life together. How lovingly Kim had looked at him then, and how much fun they had together. Alex smiled as he remembered the night Kim dared him to go skinny-dipping in the ocean, and how she had grabbed his swimsuit from the beach and ran back up to the hotel with it. They made sandcastle villages, rode bikes through the tropical forest, and snorkeled with the most colorful fish he had ever seen. It had been unforgettable.

Once Alex got his first job, the income was great. But Alex reveled in it and spent every cent he made, enjoying every luxury he could. He didn't save a dime.

Alex's decision to get his master's degree only added to their debt, but with an advanced degree came better paying jobs and more opportunities. Just as Kim started to advance in her own career, she became pregnant with Laura. Three years later Michael came along. A few years later Kim went back to her work as an accountant, but even with her income it never seemed like there was enough. A mortgage, car payments, household expenses, and credit card debt started piling up higher each year.

Despite Kim's efforts, Alex never managed to establish any habits around saving and investment. Each time he got a bonus or a job promotion, the extra money seemed to evaporate. Alex and Kim's expenses were now growing out of proportion to their income. He began charging frequently and liberally on his credit cards.

From the beginning, Alex justified and defended his spending. Luxuries became necessities. He needed his country club membership so he could golf with his business associates like Chaz. To keep up with his coworkers, he had to take the same sort of expensive vacations and cruises. He loved high-end watches and the latest technology gadgets. To Alex, who'd been brought up in this lifestyle, these expenses weren't extravagant. But 20 years into their marriage, Alex and Kim had zero savings, no retirement money in the bank, and a pile of debt.

When Alex's company was going through financial difficulties during the recession, he was laid off without any warning. Alex had always been a top performer, so he assumed he would not be susceptible to occasional downsizing or restructuring. He never imagined that his company would become disrupted, obsolete, irrelevant, or that he could lose his high-paying job.

Alex remembered that time all too well. His mind flashed back seven years.

He had arrived home from work much earlier than usual. He normally got home around 6:00 or 6:30, but never as early as 3:30 in the afternoon. Kim, who had been working from home that day, was in the laundry room folding a huge pile of clothes from several wash loads.

“Hey, honey,” Kim smiled. “What are you doing home so early?”

“I just got laid off,” he blurted out in a state of shock.

“What?” She dropped the shirt she was folding. “You're kidding, right? You're one of the star executives at that company. How could they possibly lay you off?”

“I know. I know. It's not about me. Apparently the company ran out of cash, so the whole thing went bust. We all lost our jobs, just like that,” Alex said, bewildered.

Kim seemed lost in thought. “Did anyone see this coming?” she asked.

“I certainly didn't. I'm sure my boss must have known,” Alex said.

“I mean, I knew company cash was tight, but to completely run out of money? It's ridiculous,” he fumed. “How can you run a business and not have a plan for getting more cash? It's downright irresponsible!”

The company Alex worked for had been around for 35 years and in its heyday had generated almost $500 million in annual revenue. Despite its respectable revenue stream for a privately held business, it had always managed its expenses poorly. In its most recent year, the company had generated around $350 million in revenue but had not adjusted expenses or downsized the number of employees accordingly.

“So what do we do now?” Kim asked, a hint of fear in her voice.

“I guess I start looking for a new job,” Alex responded dejectedly.

“It's pretty brutal right now. Have you seen how many jobs we've lost as a country in the last six months? Who knows how long the job hunt could take? I guess we could cut back on eating out so often, and we could cancel that expensive country club membership.” Kim began pacing as she calculated other ways to save.

“Kim, Kim,” Alex said, reaching for her hands. “Don't worry about it. No need to do anything extreme. We'll figure it out.” He could see in her face that she wanted to believe him. But there was a twinge of something else there, too.

Alex snapped out of his reverie. They had figured it out, but it took a lot longer than Alex had imagined. For eight months, he searched and searched for a new job before finally landing with his current employer six years ago. He probably would have kept looking for something better if Kim hadn't insisted that he swallow his pride about the pay package. He had been a successful sales executive for seven years. Why weren't companies willing to pay for his valuable skill set?

Alex's unbridled confidence and cheery optimism took a big hit after he was laid off. What bothered him most, now that he was earning only 60 percent of his previous salary, was the pressure to put the brakes on his comfortable lifestyle. He couldn't stand the thought of resigning his country club membership, or abstaining from luxury vacations and the newest technology. That would be asking too much. Sure, too much debt was no good, but throughout his life he'd always managed to juggle some debt.

Lately he'd been so stressed out about his work – and then there was the fight with Kim – that he hadn't faced the enormity of his situation. He started to add up all the debt he'd accumulated. The family had $50,000 in credit card debt, a $278,000 mortgage, and two car payments totaling $900 a month. Laura would be in college in 18 months. How was he going to pay for that? She had her sights set on a university in New York City that several of her high school friends were planning to attend. But the out-of-state tuition was astronomical, and without any savings, Alex and Kim clearly couldn't afford it. He didn't know how they could afford in-state tuition, for that matter. Why hadn't he planned ahead and put away some money for Laura's education?

Alex couldn't believe how unprepared he was. How could he have been so foolish and shortsighted? And what would he do about paying down the debt?

He contemplated, just for a moment, the idea of raiding Michael's bank account. His son was very secretive about how much he had saved, but at only 14 years old, Alex was sure there was at least $15,000 in his account. Michael was a saver who rarely spent anything. He also had a knack for capitalizing on money-making opportunities. Since Michael was 10 years old he had made money for himself by mowing the neighbors' lawns and selling off the gadgets his family no longer used.

Alex pushed the desperate thought aside. He was on vacation, for goodness' sake, and he didn't want to focus any more on his financial woes. This was finally his time to recharge, refresh, and recover from all the hard work and difficulties he'd faced over the past few years. He threw on his swimsuit and made his way out to the beach to take in the salty air and goof around a little with his kids.

Nearly two hours later, the sun was setting, and after playing so hard everybody was hungry. Alex wanted to take his kids to one of his favorite places on Oahu – Roy's Restaurant. Wet, sandy, and barefoot, the three of them returned to their room to change for dinner.

As Alex walked back into his room he spotted an envelope on the nightstand with two chocolates on top. He opened the envelope, which contained a beautiful card detailing the schedule for the vow renewal ceremony he and Kim had planned together when they set up the trip.

Just then, his phone vibrated. It was a text message from Kim. She had accepted the job in San Francisco.