The Architect

That irritated me. The next week she told me she was going to make her office visits and would be back soon. She said, "If Jonny get's hungry call me."

I said, "Why don't you continue letting them visit you, it's much easier on you." She looked at me then smiled and said she would do that tomorrow and that she liked to see for herself how things looked in each office.

I asked who she saw first. She said "I always see Jamal first, before he leaves on his rounds. I looked at her quizzically, "Why doesn't he see his department head, Marty, or Betty?"

She looked at me, "I don't know, that is how we have always done it since he got here."

"I don't like that. He should be getting his orders from his boss, not you. That is how it worked while you were busy with having Johnny."

She glanced at me, "What difference does it make?"

"Is he finished with his probation period?" I turned away and looked at some notes on my desk. She said nothing. I looked back at her and raised my eyebrows?

"I'll take care of it."

"Good, it's tidier if he is in the proper chain of command, then people won't wonder why he is special."

She stared at me, "Including you?"

"Yep!"

"John, are you serious?"

"Well he is a big handsome black stud like the guy who fascinated you so much down in the Caymans."

She stared at me, I smiled and winked at her. She grinned and flipped me a finger.

Several months later we had our annual early summer Company beach party. I owned several acres of beach front property about 12 miles north of Daytona Beach. It was fenced and gated with a lime rock road and parking area. We had several canopies we set up for shade. We had a gasoline powered generator that kept a refrigerator cool and provided lights and music later. The generator was a good distance away on a buried cable to the canopies.

This was an adult only party so our children got to spend the night at grandmother's house. We had a few people wander in from up and down the beach. Deb circulated and sent time with various groups. To make things easy all the food was pre-cooked and only had to be warmed up a bit. I had rented two port-a-potties.

Toward evening I realized that every time I saw Deb, Jamal was with her or close by. They were never alone together. She seemed to be avoiding me. I was getting more and more irritated. Betty Johnson helped me a lot with the food. Her boyfriend was out of town and she hadn't wanted to come but the people in her department talked her in to it.

Betty was not unaware that I was getting upset. I told Betty that I thought I would take a walk up the beach. By that time the crowd was thinning out. I needed to think about Debbie, she seemed infatuated with Jamal. I knew I would have no life worth thinking about if she left me. Would she take the kids with her? Should I just leave and let her move him in? I couldn't do that, what would it do to Dolly? What was wrong with me that I couldn't keep a wife? I came upon a driftwood log. I sat in the sand and leaned back against it. I stared at the little waves sliding up onto the sand. They moved inexorably toward my feet, finally I realized my feet were getting wet. I had been thinking and crying. I heard people approaching me and saw two people searching the beach with a flash light. The light hit me. They walked up to me and shined the light in my face. I couldn't see who it was but I knew the voice that said, "Are you going to just sit there until the water covers you?"

It was Debbie. I didn't look at her. "That would seem to be one solution."

"That is not acceptable, I will not let that happen. I need my husband. We need to talk. Come back with me and we will wrap everything up and go home. Betty and Jamal will help us."

I looked around and saw Betty standing about twenty feet away watching us. Debbie said, "Betty told me she saw you walk up this way and that you were upset about Jamal and I. I thought you knew me better than that. I love only you my sweet husband, I am very sorry if you thought there was something between Jamal and I. That can never happen, you are stuck with me forever. I have been trying to help him through a bad time. He is in love and is heart broken because his love loves someone else. Jamal and I are good friends, nothing more, there is no sexual attraction between us."

I glanced at her, "That I will never believe, unless he is gay."

"How did you figure that out?"

"Because every male has a sexual attraction to you, unless he is asexual or gay. Who is he in love with?"

"You!"

"Me? I have never given any sign I am at all attracted to him."

"I think that he was aware that you always keep an eye on him. I know he misread that interest. You thought he was interested in me and wanted to scare him away from me."

"Hell girl, you spend every minute you can with him, what do you expect me to think. I am still not convinced you don't at least lust after him. Ask Betty what everyone thinks."

"Betty, is John right?"

"I have wondered myself and I have heard a lot of speculation about it. The girls are all afraid of what it would do to John if it were true, especially after what he went through with Sally."

Debbie's hands flew to her face, she sobbed, "No! Oh no! What have I done to my poor husband? I thought he was just teasing me. I didn't know he really thought I cared for Jamal. I was just trying to make Jamal feel better about John, I can understand how he feels because I love John with every fiber in my body and soul, he came to my office every morning so he could see John. He was always near me because that is where John is. He thinks John is the sexiest man he has ever seen. I agree."

I looked at Betty and Debbie, "Well he is kind'a cute you know!"

They looked at each other and laughed. Betty giggled and said she would fix me up with him. Debbie said, "No way, John only gets fixed up with me. Besides I know Jamal saw John when John was playing with me at the last pool party and my man was a little excited. Jamal was very impressed."

I looked at the two laughing girls, "Ladies, I do not care if Mr. Jamal is repressed, impressed, or depressed I am in no manner or form available. I happen to belong to the sexiest female alive. I made some vows and promises to her and to my God when we were married, to the best of my knowledge those vows are still in effect and I will never break them."

Debbie stared at me for a second then said, "Betty, isn't that the sweetest thing you have ever heard? The best part is that he is the world's worst fibber. When we go shopping together I always try on one dress that I know looks horrid on me. I always ask him if it looks good. He will stall and evade giving an answer. If I pin him down he will say that the color doesn't do me justice or something, If I say I like it he will finally say, "No, I don't like the way it looks on you." John simply cannot look me in the eyes and tell me even a little white lie. I can't even think of fibbing to him. I can tease him but not really lie to him."

I looked at Debbie, "Honey, do you see Jamal as any kind of problem at all?"

"No, not really, he could be a small irritant to you but overall he is not a problem. I will have him get his information from Marty or Betty and it should work just fine. His work is excellent in all respects, his reports are complete and on time, there has been no complaints about him, and he solves any problems quickly."

"Do I need to keep an eye on the two of you?"

"NO! Not at all!" She grinned, "Just keep an eye on me. I love that!"

"OK, Tell him our reasoning about putting him back in the chain of command, and tell him it has a positive reflection on him. Just tell him he has proved that he has completed his probation and that he needs no further assistance from you to do his job correctly so he will be integrated with the other Inspecting Engineers and receive an appropriate increase in his pay."

Debbie smiled gently, "No wonder I love you so damned much, that is a very simple, but thoughtful solution; leaving everyone feeling good."

I laughed, "If you are feeling good will you make me feel good after we get our kids to bed tonight?"

"Honey, you can count on that, it will be my pleasure!"

The End