Alli and Jim Ch. 01

This is my first attempt at a semi-fictional story. The characters and some of the events are real. There is a lot of emotional detail added. It isn't heavy on physical sex but is really about our relationship.

JUST ONE HOUR

I was waiting in the lobby bar at the St. Regis in San Francisco for my wife of more than twenty years, Alli, to return from her "just one hour" visit with her long ago former boyfriend in a room in one of the upper floors. I had been duped by her, yesterday, into coming down from Lake Tahoe for "just a visit" with Jim, her first lover. She really didn't want me to come with her, she tried hard to persuade me that "nothing would happen" and they would just "catch up" as she had not seen him in almost ten years. I told her I wasn't comfortable with her going on her own, it didn't feel right to me. After hemming and hawing she told me to "come if you must". We left early this morning. The drive down was not pleasant, I could tell that she was texting with him as I drove. I just sucked it up and drove the three plus hours to the City from our home in Lake Tahoe.

We met Jim for a late breakfast at a popular breakfast spot that we used to go to when we lived in San Francisco. We planned to spend the day and return after dinner. At breakfast we learned he was staying at the St. Regis. Which was about a mile from where we were having breakfast. They chattered as I sat across the table from them. Finally, we finished and I picked up the tab. She suggested that she walk with him back to the hotel "as it would give us more chance to catch up." They would meet me there.

I said "Okay" and drove the car to the hotel, it took me about five minutes, I expected it would take them 20-30 minutes to walk. But, after an hour, I began to get perturbed. I checked find my phone to see where Alli was and she was in the hotel. I immediately called to see where she was, but she didn't pick up or respond to my text. About ten minutes later, she walks into the bar, alone and comes to my table.

"Sorry, I missed your call. We were just gabbing." She said not quite meeting my eyes.

"Gabbing where?" I asked

"We walked and window shopped and talked, why are you upset it's only been an hour or so."

"I don't like being ditched, and that's what it felt like. Where's Jim." I queried.

"He's up in his room. I told him that we'd get together later." She responded.

"Did you go to his room with him?"

"Why are you asking that?"

"Inquiring minds want to know. I take it you did?"

"God Damn, Jay you are being too possessive. Yes, I was up there for a few minutes. Nothing happened."

"Define nothing for me please." I asked.

Her response was "I am not going to play this game." She rolled her eyes as she spoke disdainfully.

My response to her was "I am heading home, are you going to come with me or stay here with your friend."

"Don't be a dick, Jay. Jim is an old friend and I want to spend some time with him. That's not a sin."

"Sorry Babe, but I think I'm being played and I don't like it so I am going home."

"How am I supposed to get home?" She asked.

"Not my problem." I rejoined and started to pick my phone and wallet up from the table.

She grabbed my arm, "Jay, you are being an ass and making a big deal out of nothing. Don't blow this up it won't be good for either of us.

I looked her straight on and said "Babe, I can tell you want to fuck him and you are just trying to finesse it. I am not going for it."

"Even if I did want to fuck him, you are doing your best to be an ass about it. He feels uncomfortable and didn't want to come down with me to see you."

"He should be uncomfortable and I don't give a flying fuck about his feelings.'

"Here's the deal, Jay. I would really like to play with him. I have fond memories of our high school fumbling. Look, we smooched a bit as we walked and he was turning me on. We went to his room and made out a bit, but, when you called and wouldn't stop texting, I knew I had to come down and deal with you.

"Deal with me??? Your husband??"

"Look, I'm not telling you, I'm asking. Jay, please give me an hour up in his room, we'll do whatever we do, and I'll come back to you and we'll head home. I will be none the worse for wear."

"That's very polite of you babe. But I'll only go along with this if I get to be there. I'll be a fly on the wall."

"You'd kill the vibe and you know it."

"Up to you babe. Have me with you, or I leave."

"I am going to go up and talk to him and see if he'll agree to your being there."

"I'll go with you."

"What? I can't even talk to him without you being there? Jay, fuck you, if you don't trust me to talk to him, then just go home."

At this point, I may have overreacted and caused things to go further off the rail. My response was: "Ok Alli, I'll go home and contact a divorce lawyer so we can get on with the rest of our lives."

"You are going to divorce me over this? Are you crazy?"

"One of us is. Not sure its me. You are the one who feels the need to be with another guy. Your choice."

"One fucking hour in a lifetime... is all I asked for and you can't even give me that."

"Nope. I'm going."

She started to tear up, but, turned and walked towards the elevators. She stopped and looked back at me, waited about 30 seconds for me to do something as I stared back at her, and then pushed the button to the elevator and went up.

I had a decision to make. Get in my car and drive home or just stay and wait. As I was getting up to go to the car she texted "I love you, Babe, please wait for me." I was torn, I was really angry, on the other hand I have been with her for twenty-two years. I ordered a drink and matched the baseball game on the TV over the bar. The Giants were playing the Mets, I watched from the third to the sixth inning and had a second drink. It had been about an hour. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked back. It was Alli, she was smiling and said "Thank you for staying, would you like to hear about it?"

"Do you think I would like to?"

"No, but I will tell you whatever you want to know. I don't want you imagining what happened. I would like you to understand what we did and what I felt when we did it. If you can't handle that, it's ok and we don't have to discuss it."

"My answer depends on your answer to this question. Is this one and done or are you intending to hook up with him again? Because if its done and over, I don't need or want detail. "

She looked at me and said "What if I don't know?"

"Then we could have a problem" I spit out as I started walking toward the garage.