Dealing with Jessie Pt. 06

He was somewhat surprised, "So you weren't drugged when we were upstairs that night."

She replied, "No."

"Why'd you do it then," he asked? I mean why did you sleep with me. Why did you go so far out of your way to make love to me?"

"I was horny," she said.

"Horny," he responded, "You had all those young lawyers. I saw you." He could see she was getting fidgety.

She swiveled around sitting Indian fashion, "I hadn't had sex since that evening of the retirement dinner. I needed it."

Something wasn't right, he asked, "You're taking something aren't you." The look on her face revealed it. "What are you taking?"

"Anafranil," she said, "And Lamictal."

Only half surprised Gary exhaled and averred, "What? Say that again."

Jessie answered, "I've been seeing a doctor, a Psychiatrist actually. He's been giving me Anafranil and Lamictal."

"You're kidding," he said.

"No I'm not," she replied, "they're supposed to help me control my urges."

Considering the skillet and knives Gary was just a little nonplussed, he asked, "How long have you been taking these things?"

"A while," she said.

"No, come on, how long," he protested.

"A while, that's all," was her answer, she expounded slightly, "He says I have some disorders."

"OK," he asked "what kind of disorders?"

"I'd rather not say," she replied.

Still stumped, he asked, "What about last Thursday?"

"The frying pan, she said, "at first it was like spontaneous combustion, but the rest I knew what I was doing."

"You mean the knife," he said."

"I had that," she said. Then she added, "He's been using hypnosis too."

"You're kidding," he said, "how does that work?"

"It's too soon to know," she said, "he records what I say while I'm under, and I get to hear it played back. It's mostly about you, what I've said, how I feel, and it's made me think about why I've said some of things I've said."

Gary said, "So you've been going to counseling."

"Not exactly," she answered, "but it's been twice a week since I started."

Gary asked, "These medications. Will they hurt the fetus? I mean baby."

She asserted, "The doctor doesn't think so. He said the field research doesn't show any indications of harming a fetus."

His mind was back searching; there were things that needed to be explained, "You're right. We do have a lot to talk about."

She squelched a yawn, "Gary I'm tired. I know you have a lot of questions, but can't we just rest for a while?"

There she was stretched out on top of that big bed in that sexy blue outfit, pretending to be tired, and asking him to come to bed? Like he was going to say no? He slipped out of his clothes while she pulled down the bedspread. He climbed in and lay down beside her. He wasn't tired; she moved and stretched languidly beneath the soft material. Her breasts slid about; the dim light reflected their shape invitingly. Using just his fingertips he touched each nipple.

Yawning again, Jessie pleaded, "Gary I really am tired." She curled up in his arms and went fast to sleep. She must have just eaten a mint; her breath smelled of it. He wanted badly to kiss her. Eventually he got to sleep too, but as he lay there trying to drift off a great many questions crossed his mind, perhaps the biggest; did he still love Jessie enough to stay with her? Anger feuded with old affection then with loyalty regarding his daughters. He didn't have an answer.

When he woke up she was just coming out of the shower, hair wet, wearing a towel. She looked like that woman Leonardo DiCaprio married in "Wolf of Wall Street". He sat up and stretched.

She said, "I'm hungry. Let's get something to eat."

Damn, he thought, another missed opportunity? He shrugged, "Arby's?"

She shook her head, "Let's do the Taylorsville Inn. They have good seafood, and I haven't had any in months."

As he slipped on his slacks he asked, "You said you wanted to talk."

She nodded, "After we eat."

"OK, sounds good," he said, but he kept thinking this was another game. She teased him with the pajamas, got him in bed, but nothing happened. It was another taunt, and she knew he'd play the sensitive wimp. Damned if she wasn't right! Now she wants to go to a restaurant and talk. He decided, psychiatrist or not, she hadn't changed, and neither had he, still the big dope.

He took his I-Phone and went to the bathroom, "Think I'll call the girls so they won't worry," He closed the bathroom door so she wouldn't hear. He pulled up Dorothy's number and tapped it; it rang through loud and clear, well if someone liked Miranda Lambert's singing anyway.

It wasn't Dorothy but Melanie, "Where are you?"

"Where's Dorothy," he stopped and went on, "Never mind, we're at the Hampton out on the Interstate. Your mom wants to eat and then talk."

He thought he heard a sigh, then, "Don't let her get to you dad. You know we love her, I mean we're supposed to aren't we, what being our mom and all, but Dorothy and I know it's hopeless. Katy I'm not sure; she'd still pretty starry eyed hoping things will work out."

"I'm fine," he said, "I'll call you back later."

"We'll be out at the pool," he heard a faint giggle. "We've all got guys now."

He said, "Be careful," He was worried some idiot might try to put something in their sodas.

She laughed through the phone, "We know the routine dad. Nobody's getting away with anything. They're all too stupid to be clever. You know that."

"Just the same I worry," he said.

From the other side of the bathroom door Jessie yelled, "Are we going to not?"

Melanie must have heard her, "Don't let the old bitch put anything in your drink either, OK."

He scolded, "Don't talk like that Melanie. She's your mom."

She laughed, "That wasn't our fault."

"OK," he said, "call you later." He opened the door. Jessie was right there.

"The brats OK," she asked?

"They're not brats Jessie. They're our kids," he answered.

She smirked, "They've got your number," she swung her purse over her arm, "Come on. I'm starving."

They got to the Taylorsville a few minutes later, and it figured, it was Monday and the place was closed. Jessie said, "OK, where now?"

He said, "Appleby's?"

She shook her head, "No, you always get your way. Let's try Gallo's, it's only a pizza joint, but it's always open."

So they went to Gallo's, it was open and almost empty. Inside he ordered a small pan fired thin crust pizza with sausage, mushrooms, and onions, and a Pepsi. Jessie got the house salad with Romano dressing. She got a beer and bread sticks too.

While they waited she started, "Onions, so I'll smell onions all night. And Pepsi. Even I got a beer. You haven't changed."

That's the way, he thought, set the stage, put the opposition on the defensive. That used to work. He replied, "Have you talked to the girls lately?"

"About what," she asked? "I know what they're doing. Dorothy's skipping a real college for community school. Melanie and Katy are fine."

"That's all," He asked?

"What else is there," she asked back.

He nonchalantly flicked his wrist and answered, "Oh nothing I guess. Dorothy and Melanie have jobs. Katy's got a boyfriend."

She bristled, "What was the flick of the hand for? You know something I don't? Am I supposed to keep up with every trivial little thing? Where do they work anyway?"

"They work at Walmart."

She flicked her hand, "That's the best they can do? You couldn't get them anything? Oh I forgot, you're a school teacher."

Gary played it bland, which was his usual, but he recognized the gamesmanship, always the complaint, never quite enough, and it was always his fault, "Walmart's a good start. They're acquiring three very valuable attributes from the experience."

Jessie scoffed, "Oh, and what would they be?"

He smiled, "They'll make a little money. If they borrow on it they'll establish a credit, and best of all they'll find out what they don't want to do the rest of their lives."

She looked off. There wasn't anything she could've said. With a wistful half-smile she softly muttered, "I should've have gotten them in somewhere. They'd have met some real people and made a lot more money."

He'd whipped in on that one; smiling he finished it off, "They're working where their friends work, and they're close to home. It'll be a good experience for them." He watched her bite her tongue, she so wanted to come back with something.

Finally something came out, "So says the great bard." And then, "So how's the house coming. You getting all your chores done?"

He grinned, "Yes Missus McGowan. I be doin dem chores real good."

The food arrived and they started eating. She only picked at her salad. He noticed her eyeballing his pizza so he asked, "Want some?"

She scowled, "It wouldn't put you out would it?"

He pushed his pizza across, "Trade you, a piece of pizza for a bite of your salad."

She pushed her salad forward, "Try not to slobber all over it."

He grinned and pretended to drool, "I promise. I'm on my best manners tonight." He watched her clench and unclench her fists. She started grinding her jaw, "You're going to give me a heart attack. I feel my blood pressure rising. You know how much I hate you?"

He answered, "If you have a heart attack I'll call 911. If your blood pressure's so bad maybe you ought to get your shrink to give you a prescription for it, and no, you don't hate me. You love the living shit out of me."

Her next reply got especially belligerent, "It's my heart. He's not a shrink, and I really do hate the living shit out of you."

Gary laughingly retorted, "Let's get married."

She angrily answered, "We already are married."

They spent the next few minutes eating in silence. She drank some of her beer, and ordered a Pepsi. She took the onions off her piece of pizza. He ate all the black olives in her salad. She didn't like them anyway.

Finally they got down to brass tacks. She said, "We have to talk. We need to come to some sort of an understanding."

"Lay it on me," he laughingly replied.

She did, she laid it on thick, "Because I'm having your baby I've cut back at the firm. You'll need to take on a few more responsibilities at home.

He watched, and listened, and thought. They'd found out from Gail their inside source at the firm all the things happening to Jessie. The other partners had cut back Jessie's work, keeping new clients to a minimum and those she got were overcomplicated and low budget. Gail reported Jessie's office had become a garbage dump; a nice office, spacious, with a window, but the other lawyers had been easing in excess furniture, things like chairs, and file cabinets. Jessie had been indifferent, spending most of her time reading novels or napping. Worse, what she didn't know was they wanted to open a small, "a very small" branch office in the far west end of the state, and they'd picked her to do it. Gary suspected she knew nothing about that. He saw it as a devious way of getting rid of her. A branch office out west would put her about as far away from the real activities of the firm as they could get, plus if she fouled up they might use it an excuse to buy her out or can her. He was afraid she was so far out of the loop she didn't know anything. He couldn't imagine anything more devastating for her.

Gary was ambivalent about Jessie's possible ruination; on the one hand he was absolutely opposed, and he'd do all he could to prevent it or at the very least be there for her when calamity struck. On the other hand he knew most men in his place would probably enjoy her undoing, but he couldn't bring himself to feel that way. Gary the man and father loved her and wanted to protect her, Gary the vengeful cuckold wanted to see her hurt. When he tallied up the score Jessie won by a four to one margin; it was Dorothy, Melanie, Katy, and someone not born yet versus Jessie the self-righteous egotistical bitch.

Gary decided it was time to force things to cloture; either give Jessie a chance to get it right, or walk away. "Jessie," he said, "I agreed to delay the divorce only for the summer. Once we get to Labor Day I'm leaving."

She looked, or pretended to look surprised. She said, "Still running away."

"Not at all, you ran me off last winter. Remember?"

"That's not true," she retorted, "I..."

He interrupted her, "Dorothy will move out with me. Melanie and Katy can if they want to. There's a good public high school where I plan to live." He regretted having sold the split foyer.

She looked genuinely aghast, "You've driven my girls from me. What lies have you been telling them? You can't do this to me. You have to stay. You need to stay. You can't just leave. I have to have somebody to... take care of things."

She was blathering and she knew it, he responded, "No one stole the girls. They know they'll be alone if I leave. Come on Jessie, you're never home. What you want is someone to do the laundry, make the beds, and clean the house. Hire a maid, I'm sick of it."

She wasn't quite so belligerent when she said, "I'm going to have your baby. You remember how it was with the girls. I needed full time care. You remember I had to stay in bed most of the last couple months. Gary, I'll need someone. I'll need you. I don't know what I'll do if you're not there."

"Call your mother," he said, "she was the one who did most of that, or don't you remember?"

"I remember," she said.

He watched the wheels as they turned, she went on, "Look, we can work something out. You'll be far away from your school any place else. You need to be close by for your work and the girls, and me too."

He replied, "I transferred to Western High School. Remember?"

She looked down at the remains of her salad, "Oh you did, didn't you," she looked around for their waitress, "Let's get dessert."

Though he knew there were a great many things still left unsaid, he realized they'd probably reached the end for the time being. He pushed back his chair, "I don't want dessert, and I don't think we have any more to say to each other. I'm leaving."

She looked desperate, "No wait, just a minute. There's still more," she smiled. He knew something was coming so he didn't get up.

She crossed her arms and said, "I've decided to forgive you."

He thought, that was good, "It's OK. You don't need to forgive me. I'm over it."

She was stumped again. He saw it in her face when she said, "You don't know what I'm forgiving you for. Don't you want to know?"

He'd stopped playing, "When I get back to your house I'll make a list." He started to get up again.

She leaned forward, "No wait," she hesitated for a second and added, "Let's go back to the Hampton. I'll pay this time."

He thought her last resort would be sex. He remained standing in place, "You want to talk in private."

"Yes, in private," she said.

"OK," he said, "I'll follow you."

She looked relieved. She reached for the dinner check, "I've got this too."

So it was back to the Hampton, different room this time, first floor, 112. He was right, this time it was all about sex. They went in and she said, "Let's shower together."

He said, "No, you go ahead. There's a C.V.S. down the street, and I need some shaving supplies."

She looked scared, "You aren't just leaving?"

"No," he said, "I'll be back."

She turned and went into the bathroom. Convinced he wouldn't come back, he knew she was terrified. He didn't leave her; he bought some shaving supplies, a few other items, and came back. She was in a robe on the bed when he came in. The spread was down. She said, "I suppose you should shower and shave."

He smiled and answered, "Not yet. Take off the robe, and follow me." He led her into the bathroom.

Inside he closed the door. Thankfully the bathroom was quite large. He took the wet towels she'd used and spread them out on the tile floor.

She asked, "What are you going to do?"

He told her, "I'm going to shave you."

"What," she exclaimed!

He was taking a razor out of its packet, "I'm going to shave your pussy."

"No you're not," she exclaimed!

'Why not," he replied, "I've done it before."

She remonstrated loudly, "That was when I was just a girl. Now I'm..."

This was starting to be fun; she had no idea he ever even thought of something like this, not in years, "You were nineteen the first time, and as I recall you were pregnant then too. Now get down there and spread your legs."

She looked angry, but she got on her back, "This is very uncomfortable."

He took a clean face towel, ran hot water over it, knelt down and wrapped it around her mound and her ass. While he soothed her crotch with his hands he whispered, "You're pregnant Jessamine. You're carrying my baby, and you need to be thoroughly clean, everything down there has to be spotless and smooth, all that frightful wool has to go."

She lay still, but whispered, "Give me a clean towel for my head?"

He whispered back, "Forgetting something are we darling?"

She smiled with her mouth but her eyes told another story when she whispered, "May I please have a towel to cushion the bottom of my head?"

He chortled, "That's my girl," and he handed her the other towel she'd used when showering.

She grumbled, "This one's wet."

He chided, "Now Jessamine, beggars can't be choosers."

She looked away. He started to shave her.

It didn't take all that long; her hair from the shower and the hot towel was soft, it fell away easily. With her mons and most of her perineum done he gently smacked her cleft and whispered, "Roll over so I can get your ass."

She rolled over and knelt up on elbows and knees without complaint, and he finished the job. He stood back up and held out a hand, which she took and stood up. He was just under six feet and her five foot six put her face just at his chin so she had to look up to see him. The past several years, with her high powered career going full steam she often wore three sometimes even four inch heels making her seem taller and almost at eye level. He'd grown to hate the clickety clack of those heels. Most of her lawyer colleagues were well over six feet tall so he supposed, if it was just in terms of height he'd looked small to her for a long time, not this evening though.

She stood there, he knew she was waiting to be kissed, but he also knew that was what she expected, and he wasn't going there, not yet. He kissed the top of her head, saw her disagreeableness, and softly said, "Sit there on the toilet while I shower."

She puckered her lower lip and groused, "But I don't want to."

He frowned, "Jessamine."

She whimpered, "But I'll get wet again."

He smiled, "Then I'll dry you off. Now sit down."

She sat down and he stepped in the shower. He enjoyed a nice one; he took a long time, he even shaved. He splashed around knowing it would make her wet. At last, thoroughly clean and soaking wet he pulled back the curtain and stepped on the floor. Yes, she was wet, but gone was the glowering angry lawyer. She was looking up at him without rancor.

Without a word he pulled her to his chest. She pressed against him willingly. He placed the thumb of his right hand under her chin and lifted her face to his. Her eyes were half closed. He leaned down and kissed her lovely lips. They were soft and yielding, like he remembered.

Reaching to the shelf he pulled down another towel, and wiped her dry. She was soft and warm. Wrapping his hands below her knees he lifted and carried her to the bed where they lay down, side by side exchanging kisses and touching one another. He loved her soft breasts, the way her nipples responded to his kisses. He brushed back her hair; it was short but soft and thick. Without makeup she looked more beautiful than ever. He told her so and she blushed.

Even after twenty years her crevice was still tight. It felt comfortable sliding in, but he moved slowly and pulling all the way out. He wanted to enjoy the moment; he rubbed his penis up and down her labia without penetration. From experience he knew what aroused her, and he wanted her to be ready. More than that, he was determined to be careful; he didn't want to climax too soon; he didn't want to climax at all, not right away.