Jack and Diane Ch. 05-07

This, of course, meant nothing to Diane, but Jack turned to the source of the call and responded "Oh no! Not you lot! I thought I'd got rid of you!"

Plymouth is home to Devonport Dockyard, a major Royal Navy base. Sailors from one of the warships in port had also chosen the pub they had selected for lunch. These sailors had previously served on different ships with Lieutenant Winters R.N. The group invited Jack and Diane to join them and whilst Jack was inclined to decline, Diane accepted the invitation. What woman could resist a testosterone charged group of fit, strong, men like these? Apart from that, she thought she might find out a little more about her husband. Jack didn't talk much about his time in the Navy.

Introductions were made but Diane could hardly catch the names. The accents covered the whole of the British Isles, including Ireland, north and south. The afternoon was one of reminiscence and story telling, with much "do you remember..." and "what happened to..." The pub rocked to their laughter.

During the course of the story telling Jack and Diane got divided. The sailors, however, did not let Diane become excluded. She was included in every round of drinks bought. They considered it a point of honour to ensure her glass was always full and that she was included in the conversation. So engrossing was the companionship Diane barely noticed how much she was drinking, but there again, she seemed to keep her wits about her. It was one of those afternoons where the camaraderie surpasses the effects of alcohol.

Diane learned that Jack had had a number of nicknames during his service. His first was F.C. This he had received on his first ship. As a Sub Lieutenant he had been Officer of the Watch. The crew comprising the watch had not discharged their duty to the standard required by their officer and as a result he had disciplined them by assigning extra duty. The Petty Officer of the watch, P.O. McVeigh, thought he could brow beat the new officer into rescinding his decision but Jack had stood his ground. He was christened "Fucking Cold" Winters, because of the icy manner he used to deal with the P.O. At least that's what Diane was told. Actually the P.O. called him "that fucking cunt Winters" and that had stuck as F.C. His second ship christened him "One Eyed Jack". This was a fairly typical ratings jibe that worked on a number of levels. Jack was known to have a certain skill at cards, despite gambling being prohibited. He was also a member of the ship's boxing team. An officer is always a prime target in these competitions and can expect no quarter. Jack had received a thumb in the eye during one fight and had to wear an eye patch for a time. This, combined with his middle name of Nelson, earned him the "one eyed" soubriquet.

It was aboard this same ship that he received his final nickname. Damage control has long been a drill extensively practised in the Royal Navy. It is exactly what it says. If the ship is damaged by nature or enemy action all rates are trained to take action to prevent damage getting worse and causing the ship to sink. There are groups formed, of sailors whose role is not directly involved in fighting. They are the damage control party whose role is to take over and do running repairs to maintain the viability of the vessel. Jack was supervising a drill involving some new equipment. A screw jack was being used to brace two beams. The D.C. party were working beneath it when it suddenly slipped. Jack saw this and shoved a man out from below it as it fell. The prop fell on his outstretched arms and broke both of them.

A naval Board of Enquiry was established into the accident. All personnel taking part were required to give evidence at the shore establishment which is called a "ship" even though it is a land-based building. It was established that there was a fault with the equipment and a signal was sent to the fleet advising new procedures. Once the finding was handed down, the men from Jack's ship retired to a local hostelry to celebrate.

Jack, of course, caused much hilarity trying to drink with both arms in plaster. Unfortunately, amongst the other patrons was a group including P.O. McVeigh, who had spent most of the afternoon in the bar. McVeigh approached Jack. The other sailors from Jack's crew were not aware of the history between the pair, until McVeigh offered to help Jack with his beer. He promptly poured it over the officer's head, slurring something about Jack being unable to respond because he was "harmless" due to being "armless". As he turned to walk away he stumbled and fell. Getting up he accused Jack of tripping him and swung a wild punch at Jack. Jack dodged the punch and brought his plaster-reinforced forearm sharply up below McVeigh's chin, jerking his head back. McVeigh sank to the floor with a soft grunt. Jack swore loudly as the partially set bones flexed despite their casing.

The bar staff called the ambulance and as a result the Shore Patrol arrived as well. These men are the naval equivalent of the Military Police except in one respect. No-one, absolutely no-one argues with Shore Patrol. Their main duty is to police the bars of the port towns when ships are in port. If the vessel has been on a long cruise the sailors will indulge to the extreme. S. P. deal with troublemakers quickly and efficiently. Many civilians who get involved in fights with sailors have ended up in the brig, only to be released the next morning rueing the time they swung at a member of the S.P. Appeals to the police about wrongful arrest are not favourably received. The local constabulary generally knows that it is not a good idea to antagonise the navy or they may be left to deal with a ships company celebrating the end of a long period with very little alcohol.

Naturally the involvement of a senior rate and an officer meant that there was another Board of Enquiry at which Jack was exonerated And P.O. McVeigh was reduced in rank to Able Seaman, imprisoned and discharged with loss of his pension and gratuity for service. The sentence not only reflected the seriousness of an assault on an officer, and the fact that the officer was incapacitated before the incident, but also McVeigh's record of incompetent behaviour. Having finally been able to establish a watertight case against him the Navy threw the book at him. The incident gave Jack the nickname "Harmless".

These stories and many others portrayed Jack as an officer well respected by those who served under him but also one who was not averse to taking direct action when he felt it was necessary. This was a lesson that Diane had missed.

The afternoon in the bar stretched into the evening and when a group set up for the evening entertainment, Diane was caught up in a whirl of dancing and laughter. At one point, one of Jack's erstwhile command disappeared to talk to the band. He returned to cajole Jack into performing his party piece. Jack's reluctance was easily overcome by the combination of drink taken and peer pressure.

He joined the band to perform his own version of the Johnny Cash classic "I've been everywhere". This version involved the names of various places visited by all the ships on which Jack served. Despite being a little inebriated, his ability to get through the place names of foreign ports was impressive and received uproariously by the sailors, other patrons, and the band alike.

Knowing it was best to leave on a high, Jack called a taxi and he and Diane retired to their hotel. Spending an afternoon in the presence of so much rampant testosterone deferring to her man had its effect on Diane, and they were barely into the bedroom before she had him clinched in a one armed embrace whilst she hurriedly unfastened his trousers. Moving the crotch of her underwear to the side she lifted herself onto Jack's engorged cock and fucked herself passionately, grinding her clitoris against him, to release. Jack held on for the ride.

Next morning, they woke still fully dressed. They made love, gently, and sweetly this time, before showering, dressing, and breakfasting. The rest of the weekend was spent visiting properties and compiling a short list to view again.

Milla had prevented Jack from being vindictive in the terms and had drawn up a settlement which she felt was favourable to him and would be accepted by the arbitrator. The only unresolved aspect was the children. Whilst Jack wanted sole custody, she calculated that a joint custody agreement would be passed more easily. She had also sought to protect Jack's naval and company pensions and his gratuity by offsetting them against the Devon property. Diane had her own pension plan and the investment had been maintained from the joint account since she had given up work. If she tried to claim against Jack's pension, they would claim from hers. The Range Rover was already in Diane's name and Jack would relinquish any claim on it. She would also receive a lump sum settlement from savings and investments made during the marriage. Jack's ace was the part share he had bought in the boutique. It had been intended as an anniversary gift, but now it represented an inducement to settle.

Whilst it was more than Jack wanted to give her, the quid pro quo was joint custody of the children. Milla had talked to the children independently and their preference was to stay with their father in their own home. They wanted to continue to attend their current school rather than start anew making new friends. Jack would continue to pay their fees. They would live in the family home during term time with Jack and holidays would be divided between both parents. Initially, Diane wanted sole custody. This idea was quickly quashed when the children stayed over for a weekend with their mother and Peter in his flat. There were insufficient bedrooms so Harry had to sleep in the living room. That forced two early nights on Peter and Diane. Georgie harboured a deep resentment against her mother, which manifested itself in her treatment of Peter. Harry was clearly upset about the divorce as well but he tried to be tolerant, as his dad had told him to be. The tension only added to Diane's stress.

Eventually Diane agreed to a first meeting with the arbitrator but it didn't go well. She tried to get sole custody and the family home. She still didn't grasp that the house was not Jack's. The arbitrator had a meeting with the children and their parents to determine their views. Eventually he concluded that the agreement proposed by Milla was eminently fair. Privately, Alan, Diane's solicitor, tended to agree but obviously took his instruction from Diane.

The more Diane resisted the more she found herself on her own. Peter was concerned that she was making herself ill and he tried to get her to agree to the settlement. At the next meeting, Milla highlighted the share of the boutique that constituted part of the investments being handed over to Diane. When she realised that this element alone gave her the control of her future that she desired, she agreed.

Jack and Diane Chapter 7

Once the settlement was agreed Jack set about closing all the financial accounts relating to the marriage and opening new ones in his sole name. In doing so he also reviewed the standing orders and direct debits. He moved those relating to his own outgoings and allowed any relating to Diane's to lapse with the accounts. .

One of the terms of the settlement was that there would be no child maintenance paid in either direction. It was one of the conditions Milla had inserted to use as a bargaining chip. Diane had initially protested. Milla simply asked how much she wanted and agreed. Diane was very smug about that until she discovered that she was expected to pay the same amount to Jack while the children were with him. Since they would spend more time with him Diane would suffer a net loss, so that was hurriedly reversed.

He set about establishing the routine for the children, using his position in work to allow him to be at home as much as possible for them. Diane would take them for part of the weekend and Jack would use this to make up time in work. After the children went to bed he spent much of his time doing the household duties. These posed no problem to him as he had learned to look after himself in the Navy and was practised at "personal admin". While he was ironing or cleaning he had plenty of time for introspection. He could find no reason for Diane to reject him except for Peter. Georgie clearly didn't like him but that appeared to be more to do with him providing a focus for her anger. Harry regarded him as a decent person who seemed to hold Diane in as much affection as did Jack himself.

Jack was deeply wounded by the way Diane had simply disposed of him like a used tissue. He had no intention of letting Diane off lightly. The settlement had been about drawing a line under the marriage and a new start, but part of that, for Jack, was to ensure that Diane had as much hurt as she inflicted on him. Ignoble perhaps, but at this stage Jack was still trying to come to terms with what had happened. He didn't have time for much socialising but he did start investigating the demise of his marriage.

When he first met Diane, Jack was struck by her competent manner. She was business like and to the point. She dressed appropriately for the site visit and did not trail around like a helpless girlie. She was certainly a looker, but his attention was diverted by the accident. It was the second date before he really thought about her as a possible girlfriend. That kiss at the end of the date had a warmth and passion that aroused him more than physically. She was so easy to be around and really made him feel the centre of attention. He wanted to make her feel the same. When she invited him to her bed he wanted to ensure that she thought of him as a lover, not a sex partner. So he pulled out almost all the stops that night. Well, you want to keep some surprises for later.

Gradually, he felt the relationship deepen. He had got the awkward moment of meeting her parents over on the first date. They were very straightforward, normal, people. When he decided to ask Diane to marry him, Jack felt that it was appropriate to go through the traditional niceties and asked her father, Sam, for permission first. Sam was as pleased as Punch that Jack had gone to the trouble of doing so and gave his blessing willingly. Both he and Betty, Diane's mother, had taken him into their hearts. Diane was appropriately surprised later that evening when Jack went down on one knee on a hill overlooking the sea. She knew of course that Jack was going to propose but the time and place did come as a surprise to her.

As an only child Diane's parents pulled out all the stops. They weren't rich by any stretch of the imagination but they wanted the best for her. Both Jack and Diane pitched in of course, but discretely.

The wedding day was everything a girl could hope for and the honeymoon to the Bahamas was everything a boy could. They chose to get right on with a family, as Diane wanted to have her children while she was young enough to keep up with them. Married life was unexceptional. Jack was a loving and dutiful father and Diane played her part to perfection. Bedroom activities fluctuated with family needs but to Jack; they were definitely not on short rations. They explored each other's sexuality to the fullest. Diane knew she had chosen a good lover and father for her children and made sure Jack had no reason to question the stability of the relationship. Or to feel the need to look elsewhere.

It helped that Jack's parents were prepared to look after the children and allow them some adult time every couple of months and Diane never failed to make those weekends special. Even when they bought the house in Devon and Diane and the children went down for the summer, she ensured that Jack was looking forward to getting back to work for a rest every weekend.

For her, the time to change came once the children were both at secondary school. In her own mind she had proven her feminine credentials and it was time to resurrect her career. She chose to ease her way back into the real world by starting in a small boutique in town. This way she could redevelop her customer relation skills. It would also put her in touch with a world of glamour and celebrity where she belonged after fifteen years in the wilderness.

Diane had been with the business for six months when she was invited by the two owners of the business to accompany them to a show. Unbeknownst to Diane this coincided with Jack's purchase, on her behalf of a 30 percent share in the business. What she did know was that the owners intended to open a second shop in a nearby town. This event prompted the action, which would eventually lead to divorce.

Although she was not by any stretch of the imagination, overweight, she felt it. At the exhibition, she was surrounded by stick thin models, designers, and buyers. All were in the latest styles. Diane felt frumpy. It was as simple as that. She resolved to shed the weight that had not gone after child bearing and she would update her wardrobe. Then she would take over the business, and expand it further. She already had thoughts of a beach and swimwear shop in Devon. To Diane, that meant a trip to Rio.

Her first action when she got home was to join the gym. It was not enough to simply lose the weight. She had to tone and shape her body. She engaged one of the personal trainers to develop a programme of exercise to meet her requirements. That was how she met Peter.

Peter was eye candy but not a himbo. He had studied sport science and physiotherapy, and was a part owner or the gym. He was 29, six feet two inches tall, slender, but lithe. He moved sinuously, with the grace of a dancer. Yet he exuded manliness. Fair haired, rather than blonde; his blue eyes were darker than Paul Newman's, but had the same roguishness. Diane knew at first sight that this was the man she would need to adorn her arm on buying trips. Jack was still a good-looking man but in the world of fashion he would look like a sugar daddy. Diane knew if she was to develop the business, she had to be the one in control and it had to look that way. So along with her commitment to body sculpting came her campaign to seduce Peter.

Initially the only parts of all this that Jack could establish were the time frame and the fact that Diane was living up to her Greek goddess namesake, Diana the Huntress. This told him what he needed to know. Diane had used both Peter and him. Jack's anger at the hurt caused to him and the children could be focussed on Diane. Whatever happened to Peter was collateral damage.