February Sucks - The Umpteenth One

"No. Surprisingly, I'm enjoying him free of charge." She teased, Linda blinking multiple times at the gall of this woman. "Listen, Linda, you should stop comparing the two, or if you're going to keep at it, you have to let Dear Jim here have the opportunity to explore too. Ciau!" And like that, she hung up the call. Jim looked at her astonished as she turned off his phone. "Let her fume for a bit." She teased, kissing his would be protests away.

On her end, Linda couldn't believe what the hell had just happened. From questioning why she was even on that cruise, to how they met, to the mere idea of Jim in the arms of another woman. Not just any woman, one clearly so much experienced and good looking as her. She truly didn't think Jim had it in him to be with anyone but her. He had been so devoted to her, even after all this time that she didn't even consider anyone but her being the one to take him. And from the sound of it, she was having a good time with him. What the fuck?!

She huffed, and went to check on the oven. She had the rest of her workday to think about it. It certainly was some food for thought what Ellen had said. Her womanhood felt threatened. She suddenly found herself recalling every detail about that woman when she saw her at the Madison all that time ago. She thought that seeing Jim nearly leave with Ellen was enough. It pained her to see them at the entrance ready to leave. But he was with her now. And the pain resurfaced worse than she could imagine.

This was what it was like for him. To have experienced sexual glory at the expense of the spouse. Yes, they were divorced, but it didn't make it hurt any less. She couldn't wait to clock out of work. Fuck. How did he manage this entire time?

Meanwhile, Ellen was atop of Jim, her hands on his chest.

"Can I be honest with you?" She asked. He nodded. "I can see why she did what she did." What the fuck? "Hear me out. I do this for a living Jim." She massaged his chest." I sleep with many husbands who are tired of mundane married sex. Wives too." He blinked at that last bit. "Sometimes they fuck me like they love me, as if I were they spouse, and other times, they fuck me the way they can't fuck their spouse anymore. You felt it just now. Nothing about me resisted your advances, and you didn't resist mine, did you?" Son of a bitch, she was good. He nodded. "Tell me, how many times did Linda resist you?"

"More time than I can count." He agreed. Mainly with getting blowjobs. His mind remembered how Linda noted his 'pitiful' attempts to get her to go down on him. And how enthralled she'd been to do so with Marc.

"And how much did you resist her?" She asked. If he was being honest, whenever she wanted him to go down on her it was worse than her. At least she made the attempt. He could only count a certain amount of times when he performed cunnilingus on her.

"Barely." He said. Suddenly, Ellen eased her way more so she straddled atop his chest, giving him a good view of her vagina.

"You wouldn't think twice about burying your tongue in there, would you?" She asked rhetorically. He still shook his head. "Because I'm everything everyone wants. You don't live with me, you don't know me, you just want to fuck me." He was going to protest how much he valued her when she grabbed him by the hair and shoved his face against her pussy. "No. None of that, Jim. That's all this is." She corrected him as she pulled him back. "Do you want to know something else?" She asked.

"Yes..." His heart was beating fast.

"You rank just above average compared to the other husbands I fuck."

"Thanks?" He wasn't sure it was a compliment.

"That's a good thing." She teased him. "But just barely. Because if I had to go back to that every night and expect less and less. I would seize an opportunity for more given the chance. Now that's just me ok. Just like Linda did too. You haven't because you felt morally obligated not to. And now, you find yourself here."

He hated to admit it, but she made sense.

"I'm not saying it's right. But take it from me. It happens." She assured him as she reached down to stroke his face. "Now. I can give you some pointers to spice up your sex life in the future. What I teach you, men would kill for, if they're not paying for it already." She teased. What else could he say, but.

"Yes."

Friday

Linda

She had a lot to think about since having called Jim two days ago. She'd gone about trying to call him multiple times since then. He hadn't picked up then. What the hell were they doing? She knew what it was they were doing, but couldn't for the life of her know for certain. She imagined every inch of Jim entering that woman. Were his lips exploring her body? Were they doing anything that she hadn't done with him before. The uncertainty of it all was getting to her. Eating away at her.

All this went on in her mind as she applied her makeup for Marc. She was preparing to go meet him at his place. She would go to him, and present herself to him like she did over a year ago. She would do her best to submit again to the gentleman that was Marc LaValliere.

Jim, however, kept plaguing her mind. She had spent so much time comparing him to Marc, and now she was thinking about him nonstop. He was so different from when they divorced. She actively got to see his ups and downs as months progressed and she, what? Felt proud of how far he'd come. Why did that pride stop at Ellen? He was more than entitled to look for other women. Legally speaking. But maybe...I was hoping that progress would be for me. For us. She deflated, looking at herself in the mirror. She was still beautiful, but when Ellen came to mind, she couldn't help but lose a bit of her confidence.

"No. Tonight, I'm for Marc." She affirmed to herself. She was going to re-experience him again, and then maybe things would get and feel better.

Once the sitter had arrived, she made sure that they could call Linda in case of emergencies. With all that taken care of, she drove off to see Marc once more.

Jim

He'd been learning so many things about intimacy that went beyond what he had initially thought. At first, he had difficulty understanding separating love and fucking. To him, he'd thought they were one and the same.

"They're different things, Jim. You make love to someone special. You reserve your innermost part with them." He nodded. Recalling how Linda spoke of Marc. It seemed one and the same. Ellen soothed her fears. "Couples like you, don't know any better. You were raised to believe in equating both things with one another. You said she grew feelings for Marc that night, correct?"

"It's what hurts the most." He slumped, she lifted his chin up.

"I know. And it is because women are raised to believe that that love and sex equal the same. We're seen as something to be protected and to be taken." She revealed. "So when we find someone who has that for us, we latch onto them." She repeated. "She found it in you. And she thinks she found it in Marc. But throughout it all, she came back to you, correct?" He nodded.

"So why is she with him now?" He asked.

"The same reason you're here with me now." It was obvious they still loved one another. "You both need to learn." She said, kissing him softly. "You've been making love to me this entire time, haven't you?" She asked. He gulped. It was the truth. "To me, we've been fucking. And you need to learn how."

Meanwhile, Linda found herself in the front door of Marc's home once more. She was giddy with goosebumps. She couldn't contain her excitement as she waited for him. Soon enough, the door opened and there he was. The man of her Fairy Tale. Before she could get out a simple hi, he pulled her in by the small of her back for a deep and passionate kiss. It was all coming back to her, as she reciprocated.

"Good to see you." He smirked and hauled her inside. Not in a manhandling way, but damn near close. And she was all too willing a participant. He spun her and the memories flooded her once more as she held close to him. As his member pressed against his pants and her, a pang of guilt and pleasure hit her. She kissed him in turn.

"Take me upstairs...Now!" She urged. He grinned and swept her off her feet, rushing her off to his bedroom. He wouldn't forgive himself if fumbled now of all times.

Jim had Ellen against the wall of her bedroom, ramming into her like a man possessed. It had taken a while to break his mentality of making sweet gentle love, and push him into that primal mentality. He may not have been her biggest client, but definitely the most fun one.

"Just-like-oh fuck...that!" She moaned, her nails digging against his back. "That's how you know you're...doing good." She whispered through breathy takes.

"Fuck!" Was all he could let out.

"Bite me..." She urged, leaving her neck open for the assault?

"What?" He asked, incredulously.

"Bite me!" She yelled and quick to listen he did so, closing his lips around the bite and sucking. "Ah!"

Linda was subject to Marc's thrusts once more. The tight end pile drove into her like a piston, closing the gap between them, kissing her deeply. She held onto him for dear life.

"Fuck!" He grunted. She went to smack his naked, perfect ass. "You're going to pay for that." He warned. Linda giggled as he flipped her on all fours and thrust into her from behind, smacking her ass in return.

"Yes!" She screamed against the sheets, pushing herself back onto him to feel every bit of him into her.

Jim held one of Ellen's legs up as she stood on the other, thrusting into her as she arched her back to reach and kiss him deeply. Their sweat mixed together as she licked his mouth. His grip on her thigh hurt in the best way.

His other hand reached for her breast. Giving her mound a firm squeeze with his whole hand, and pinching her erect bud with her thumb and index.

"Take it!" He grunted against her lips.

"Yes-yes!" Ellen was proud of her work for him.

Marc laid on his back as Linda feasted upon his rod. Her hand wrapped around it with care, dragging her tongue along the length before closing in on his head. He reached forward to caress her hair as she slurped, choked, and gagged on him.

"Hrghrghrg!" She exclaimed desperately.

"Fuck!" Marc threw his head back, he remembered how passionate her blowjob was, and it was great to have her do it again.

Ellen was on her back, with her legs beside her head, her hands pulling on Jim's hair as his mouth covered the apex of her thighs. This was something men were usually afraid to do, but Jim was a very eager participant and learner.

He swirled his tongue over her clit repeatedly. Pressing that particular pleasure button over and over. It had taken a few tries before he figured which motion elicited the best reaction out of her, but when he found it, he licked wildly.

After a certain point, both divorcees' mouths let go of their lovers' sexes and positioned themselves on top of them. A ritual of rights as they mounted their prizes. Linda straddled herself on Marc and began to bounce up and down. Jim stood on the bed, lifting Ellen's legs around his waist as he slammed his strokes down into her.

Both of them experienced a sexual high as they experienced the best the opposite sex had to offer. Linda arched her back as her and Marc came. Jim leaned his head down next to Ellen's as they both reached the height of their climax. Everyone giving a cry of primordial pleasure.

Linda

She looked down at Marc, but all her vision conjured were images of Jim. Her Jim. It was just now that he reentered her mind. As perfect as the sex was just now, it felt vastly different then when they'd done so the first time. There was nothing to compare to now. Jim no longer a stability in her life, she was free to explore Marc as wantonly as she desired. But therein lied the difference.

If I was single and Marc and I ended up in bed together from a first date or chance meeting, that would be exciting and fun. Yet it would nowhere near approach the titillating thrill I got from knowing the man I was with was not my husband.

She recalled in her notes. She wasn't married any longer. This man before wasn't her husband, and she hadn't one anymore. True it felt great, but what now? She laid flat against Marc's chest, who's cock pressed against her, hard again. She was about to distract herself with him once more, when suddenly her phone rang.

"It's the sitter, I have to take this." She informed Marc, he raised his hand in understanding.

"Hello?" Apparently the sitter had called because Tommy had been in a fit. He was missing his dad. "Put me on the phone with him." She stood up. Marc witnessed Linda go into mommy mode and couldn't help but stare in a sort of wonder. Could she be that for him and some future tykes of their own?

"Tommy, sweetie, it's going to be fine." She cooed. "Yes, I know you miss daddy." She stopped as he sobbed to tell her more. "Sweetie, you know I'm always here for you." She waited for him to explain it better. "Tommy, we both love you, you know that. Yes. I know you miss all four of us sweetie." This had been the first time she'd gotten a sitter for them. Poor thing must have recalled the last time their parents left them with someone else and their family just kept breaking apart more and more. Emma handled it a bit better as the older sibling, but poor Tommy was just coming to understand patterns and he knew this one was something that scared him. "Don't worry, sweetie. When Daddy's back we'll all find time to go to the zoo together? Sound good?" She asked. And she meant it too. Much to Marc's surprise. "There you go sweetie. Be good to the sitter, ok? Mommy will be back in the morning. Love you." She blew a kiss and when he settled in better she hung up.

"You're really good at that." He complimented. She smiled.

"Thanks, he really is a sweet boy-" They were cut off by Marc's own phone ringing. He checked it to find out it was his coach.

"Damn, I gotta take this." Linda nodded in understanding. Marc got out of the bed and went to the bathroom.

Linda looked around his bedroom. Taking it all in, it was pretty much the exact way it was the last time she was here. No new furnishings, additions, nothing. She wondered how often he was here. And then if a relationship with him was possible considering all his meetings and games. She knew there had to be more to it than just the Super Bowl. Promotions, sponsors, charities. Could she go back to being a stay at home wife and mother while Marc went off to all those things. Then the fact that she was married when they first coupled crept up again. He had no problems with a married woman, did it stand to reason as a married man he'd still do the same?

She began to worry and her mind turned to a comforting memory of Jim. Even at his busiest he did his best to soothe her worries. He let her know exactly how he felt about her. And she believed him. She could see it in the way he looked at her.

Jim had been sitting on the sofa while working on his laptop. Linda had gone to pick up the mail. More and more of her Victoria's Secret magazines had come in, and every time she would compare herself to the models. Before she could walk off, Jim reached out for her hand and softly kissed the back of it, rubbing his cheek against it. It was his love language.

"You're beautiful, babe." He told her with a soft smile. She smiled at his words. Who better to compliment her even on a lazy Saturday? Jim. Her Jim.

They were still newlyweds at the time, Jim never managed to finish that report that weekend. She recalled. It was now but a recollection. She turned to the bathroom door where Marc appeared again.

"Sorry, just some promotional work for this month." He told her. She simply nodded. "Tell me more about-" Linda pressed her fingers on his lips. Shushing him. It took him a while to understand, he nodded and left it at that. They continued well into the night, but not the following morning.

Linda found herself alone in his shower once more. Contemplating. Marc was having coffee in the kitchen. Last night was magnificent, but the look she gave him when he wanted to continue the conversation let him know everything. He sighed. They'd done this before. And even divorce, he couldn't keep her for more than a half day. Less this time around. She didn't stay the morning to extend her time with him. It was like she was in a hurry to go back.

She had gathered her things. Honestly, she really thought she was going to do a lot more than they did last night, but it just...didn't feel right.

"Well, here we are again." He said from behind. She smiled at him.

"Yup. We all have to snap back to reality sometime." She meant it as a joke, but saw it didn't land. "Sorry."

"Nah, it's fine." He said. He'd been holding something behind his back. "I...wanted to give these back to you." They were in a see through baggie. Her bra and panties. A wave of nostalgia hit her.

"You kept them." She said in momentary excitement. But they didn't feel as special as she thought back when she did and wrote about it.

"I'm never going to see you again, am I?" He looked into her eyes. Accepting defeat. She couldn't lie to him. She could barely lie to Jim. Marc was...just Marc. She shook her head. "I hope it works out for you, Linda." She smiled sadly, reached up and stroked his cheek.

"You'll find someone. This I know." She said. Taking the baggie and getting in her car driving off. Linda didn't know it, for she was too deep in thoughts of her family to realize that Marc was watching her until her car disappeared in the distance. Hoping to get the chance that she'd look back at him.

It never came.

Jim

It was the last day of the cruise. Him and Ellen could see the shore on the horizon. She'd taught him a lot. They were on the railing. Taking in the last bits of the salty wind and sun together. He turned to her with a sweet smile. She chuckled.

"Don't do that." She teased. He looked at her funnily.

"What?" He asked sincerely.

"You're giving me the 'I can change her' look. It's not flattering Jim." She laughed at it.

"It's not that." He assured her, before jokingly asking. "I mean, can I?" She slapped his forearm.

"Stop that." She teased in turn. "Honestly Jim, no. Despite what you hear about sex workers, there are some of us that do in fact love this job." She explained. "And you don't seem the type to marry one." She jabbed.

"Ouch. But point taken." He sighed. "Thank you, Ellen. For everything. I mean it." He said. It was bittersweet. She'd taught him so much and now, there was nothing else to teach.

"Yea, well, don't go throwing my knowledge to waste on some other escort." She smiled. She hadn't initially planned on getting some on the cruise. As such, she didn't bring much protection on board. She figured that with everything they had done, something was brewing in her. And she would have to act fast once on shore to prevent anything else from developing. "Good-bye Jim."

"Good-bye Ellen." She reached up and kissed his cheek before heading below deck. That was the last time he saw her. When the cruise boarded near the shore he saw no sight of her as he got he hauled his things back to his car. This whole experience was something he'd cherish for the rest of his life. Is this what Linda felt? Perhaps he'd give her a call.

Linda made sure she threw the set away in the dumpster behind the bakery. She knew that there was nothing she could have done with them. They used to mean something, but were now worthless in the face of the mundane life as a divorced woman. And she especially wasn't going to bring them in this new home of hers where the children were.

Just as she was heading around the corner to the entrance of the studio, her phone began to ring. Jim! She quickly picked up.