Back to Bristol Ch. 12

Again, I smiled, "I went through that phase too. Are you in control now?"

"Oh Yes. Total control. £250 per night, I never pay more than £500, but I have to pay for dinner on top of course. Does that shock you? That I pay for sex."

"No. I've done it myself. It's an easy, manageable solution." I paused, "In fact, for the first time in a couple of years, I was just about to pay for it tonight. Did you see the hooker in the bar just now?"

"Was she a hooker?" She shrugged, "I guess she could have been."

"I'm pretty sure she was. But her client turned up just in time, just before I negotiated my own deal. Do you think I would have got it cheap as a late booking?"

She laughed, then she looked appraisingly "So you're feeling horny, are you?"

I waited, suddenly having to decide if I liked where this turn of the conversation could be leading.

She continued, "We could both save some money tonight."

I laughed, and thought: What the Hell....? "And management consultants, or even ex-consultants, should stick together, help each other out in a time of need, professional courtesy and all that..."

We both laughed and knew what was going to happen, and more important, knew the rules of the game.

We went back to her hotel. It all seemed a bit odd in some ways. There was this clinical commitment that we were going back for sex, just like with a hooker. Only she wasn't a hooker, she was a bright intelligent lady. But it was also that she was older than me, albeit only by a few years, but in all my travels I'd never made it with an older woman. Well, I was going to that night.

Around ten o'clock on Sunday morning I could be seen leaving the hotel, freshly showered but unshaven. And I felt great. The sex with Angie had been exactly what I needed, hot sweaty, hard, straight sex. Early on she told me that she didn't do oral, so I couldn't see any reason why I should either. And as she didn't do oral I didn't bother to ask or hint about anal. So it was just straight sex, twice last night and two more times this morning. I actually ran out of condoms, but I should have known, Angie had one in her toilet bag.

As I walked up the road to my flat I felt relaxed. I'm sure other people noticed me smiling at them and saying "Good Morning" to them all. Every ounce of sexual tension was gone. And so was all my other frustration and fear about Molly. I knew, I just knew, that the right answer would come to me.

I filled my morning with nothing more strenuous than a light breakfast with gallons of coffee, and a thorough reading of the Sunday paper. And at 11:59 I was knocking at Molly's door.

She answered the door with a smile, and got a very cheerful Hello from me.

"Come in for a minute, they are just getting themselves ready."

I strolled through to their kitchen, whilst she went upstairs to chase up the boys. She found me looking at the view from their kitchen window, and whistling cheerfully.

"You sound cheerful."

"I am. Life is pretty good, and it's a lovely day, and I'm just relaxed and enjoying it."

She half laughed, "Can I have some of whatever you're on, I could do with it."

I looked at her and she did look tired and had a weariness about her. There was a time when I would have given her a hug and a kiss and cheerfully patted her bottom and told her that I loved her and that whatever the problem was, it would pass. But, not this morning.

Instead, I just said, "I've come to the conclusion that things will work out. I don't know how, or even when, but they'll sort themselves out. We've got plenty of time, and in the meantime you must just get yourself divorced from Peter. Putting right that wrong is totally within your power."

"That's important to you, isn't it? To me it's just a bit of paper work. A process of getting the right ticks in the right boxes. The future is far more important than the past."

Just then two boys came bursting into the room, and the conversation was dropped.

We said our farewells, and I got them into the car. Over lunch I asked Jamie what he wanted to do for the afternoon, and I was told, "Go to the Zoo."

So, off to Bristol Zoo we went. I think we all had a thoroughly good time, but in the middle of the afternoon, whilst we stopped for a drink, Jamie announced that "This isn't the zoo I meant."

"Well, it's the only zoo that Bristol's got. Sorry about that. Which zoo did you mean?"

"Well, a long time ago, Peter won some tickets to go to a big zoo. Do you remember, Ben?" Ben shook his head, and Jamie went on, "We drove through fields with lions and giraffes and things in. And we went on a boat where they fed the seals." He turned to his brother, "You must remember, Ben. It was before Mummy and Peter were married."

Ben shook his head. "I remember Mummy getting married, but I don't remember that."

I felt an emptiness in my stomach. Ben may not be able to remember it; I wasn't sure I wanted to know about it. I smiled and said, "I'll ask Mummy."

When we got back to Molly's, she was waiting for us. The boys ran in, with Jamie asking "What's for tea?"

I looked at Molly, "Don't let them kid you. They've just eaten burgers and fries about half and hour ago."

She smiled, "Well, it sounds as if you all had a good time. Since you've been back in Bristol and have been taking them out, I'm sure their intake of burgers and pizzas has gone up. I should start warning you about keeping them on a healthy diet."

"It won't do them too much harm to eat a burger once in a while. But, I agree with you and I will watch it. Have you got a couple of minutes?"

"Sure." She said, and opened the door and led the way to the kitchen.

"It's just that I thought I might take the boys and you out to dinner on Tuesday, on Jamie's birthday. Nothing grand, just some family type restaurant somewhere." I looked at her and smiled, "With salad on the menu."

"I'm not that bad. And it would be lovely. But it is a school night, so they can't be late."

"Well, if I'm here to pick you up at six, say?"

"That would be fine." Suddenly her eyes misted over, "It'll be nice to go out as a family. Thank you."

"You said I was in a good mood, and I just thought of it."

She half smiled, "What did you do last night? It's just that the only time I ever knew you that relaxed on an ordinary Sunday, with you whistling especially, was if on the Saturday night..."

She glanced at me, and maybe I looked a bit guilty. I tried covering myself, "What?"

She looked away, "Nothing. It doesn't matter..."

I kissed her on the cheek, and left her, deliberately whistling.